Trademark Symbol (™)
The trademark symbol ™ is Unicode U+2122, the common-law trademark symbol used to claim proprietary rights to an unregistered brand name, product or logo. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Option + 2 on a Mac.
- Unicode
U+2122- HTML
™- Word
2122 Alt+X- Mac
Option + 2
How to type the trademark symbol (™)
The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ™ yourself, use the method for your device below. On a Mac it is Option + 2.
Windows
- In Word or Outlook, type 2122 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
- Press Win + . to open the emoji panel, then search for “trademark”.
Mac
- Press Option+2. On the standard US and US-International layouts.
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for trademark and double-click it.
Linux & ChromeOS
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2122, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
- Press your Compose key, then t m. Needs a Compose key set in your keyboard settings.
iPhone & iPad
- Copy ™ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;trad. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.
Android
- In Gboard, tap ?123, then =\<. ™ is on that page.
- Copy ™ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.
Microsoft Word
- Type (tm) and Word's AutoCorrect replaces it with ™.
- Type 2122, then press Alt + X.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2122 in “Character code” and click Insert.
- On a Mac, Option+2 works in Word too.
Google Docs
- Type (tm) followed by a space; Google Docs substitutes ™ automatically.
- Insert → Special characters, then search for “trademark” or draw it in the box.
Excel & Google Sheets
- Enter
=UNICHAR(8482)in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.
HTML
- Write
™or™in your HTML.
What does ™ mean?
The trademark symbol ™ (Unicode name TRADE MARK SIGN) is a typographic symbol used by businesses to claim proprietary ownership over an unregistered brand name, logo, catchphrase, or product package. In common-law legal systems such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, commercial use of a distinctive name automatically creates common-law trademark rights even without official government registration. Placing ™ next to a brand signals to competitors, distributors, and consumers that the company regards the phrase as an exclusive identifier, deterring infringement while a formal application is evaluated. It is a foundational element among recognized legal symbols.
Unlike the statutory registered trademark symbol ®, which requires an official certificate granted by a government agency such as the USPTO, the ™ mark requires no application fees or government approval. Any company or sole proprietor can adopt ™ immediately upon introducing a product to commerce. If the business offers services rather than physical goods, it may alternately employ the service mark symbol ℠. Typographically, ™ is displayed as a raised superscript glyph, ensuring that it remains visually subordinate to the primary brand typography while clearly establishing commercial intent alongside creative notices bearing the copyright symbol ©.
Common uses
- New product launches where registration applications are currently pending: BrandName™
- Promotional campaigns claiming common-law proprietary rights for slogans
- Marketing decks, packaging mockups, and beta software documentation
- Feature naming in technical product descriptions to prevent genericization
Trademark Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming
Every code below produces ™. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.
| Unicode code point | U+2122 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML entity (named) | ™ | |
| HTML decimal | ™ | |
| HTML hex | ™ | |
| CSS content | content: "\2122"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u2122" | |
| Python | "\u2122" | |
| Python (by name) | "\N{TRADE MARK SIGN}" | |
| Java / C# | "\u2122" | |
| LaTeX | \texttrademark | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 84 A2 | |
| UTF-16 | 2122 | |
| URL encoded | %E2%84%A2 | |
| Mac shortcut | Option + 2 |
™ vs look-alike characters
These characters look similar to ™ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.
| Char | Name | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
RegisteredU+00AE | Registered trademark symbol (U+00AE), reserved strictly for marks approved by a government agency. | |
Service MarkU+2120 | Service mark symbol (U+2120), specifically intended for service providers rather than physical products. | |
CopyrightU+00A9 | Copyright symbol (U+00A9), protecting original authored works and artistic creations. |
Symbols similar to ™
Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full letterlike symbols collection.
™ character properties
- Official Unicode name
- TRADE MARK SIGN
- Also known as
- TM symbol, TM sign, trade mark sign, unregistered trademark symbol, superscript TM
- Code point
- U+2122
- Unicode block
- Letterlike Symbols (U+2100–U+214F)
- General category
- Other symbol (So)
- Added in
- Unicode 1.1 (1993)
- Plane
- Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
- Emoji
- Has an emoji form: ™️ (add U+FE0F)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need government approval to use the ™ symbol?
No. Anyone can use the ™ symbol to assert common-law rights over a product name, slogan, or logo without filing an application or paying fees.
Can I use ™ while my trademark application is pending?
Yes. The ™ symbol is the standard mark to use while waiting for official trademark registration to be processed and approved by an intellectual property office.
Is the ™ symbol legally enforceable in court?
While ™ alerts the public to your claim of common-law rights, statutory remedies and nationwide presumption of ownership generally require full registration under the ® symbol.
Is there an alt code for the trademark symbol?
No. ™ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2122 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.
How do I type the trademark symbol on a Mac?
Press Option + 2. It works in every app on the US keyboard layout. You can also open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for it.
What is the HTML code for the trademark symbol?
Use the named entity ™ or the numeric reference ™ (hex ™). All three display ™ in every browser.
What is the Unicode for the trademark symbol?
™ is U+2122, officially named TRADE MARK SIGN, in the Letterlike Symbols block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).