Trademarks and Brands Usage Guidelines

Trademark golden rules

  1. ALWAYS use a trademark as an adjective, accompanied by an APPROPRIATE noun. Do not use a trademark as a noun. Do not pluralize a trademark or make it possessive (which would be using it as a noun).  Do not join a trademark to other words, symbols, or numbers, either as one word or with a hyphen.  And do not abbreviate a trademark.
  2. ALWAYS use the proper spelling and the proper trademark symbol. For the trademark symbol, the superscript or subscript mode is preferred, but if it is not available, use parentheses: (TM), (SM.) or (R).
  3. ALWAYS use trademarks and brand names in the ways they were intended to be used. Do not use them for goods or services for which they were not originally intended.  Do not alter them in any way.  Do not make puns out of them or portray them in a negative light.

Proper trademark usage rules include:

  • As with all other trademarks, the trademark should be used as an adjective and not as a noun. This means that an appropriate and approved noun must accompany the trademark.
  • Use the appropriate trademark symbols with each trademark.
  • Use the trademark symbol in the first appearance of the trademark in a headline, and/or the first prominent use, and first appearance in the body of text.
  • Never hyphenate or abbreviate the trademark.
  • Never incorporate the trademark or any part of the trademark into a third party's company name, product brand name, or model number.
  • For products with an assigned processor number, the processor number must follow the processor brand name.
  • Processor number font, size, and color must be treated the same as the rest of the brand text mention.