# The new software is 'helpfully' inserting registered trademark symbols

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [July 21, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941 "2020-07-21T17:58:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941/1 "2020-07-21T17:58:24Z")

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Is there a way I can override this?

e.g. Joe Blow (D) will face John Doe ® in this fall’s Arkanhoma senate race.

Similarly…  
® \<- ( r ) with no spaces  
© \<- ( c ) with no spaces  
™ \<- ( tm ) with no spaces

I can see how this would be generally helpful, but it is not helpful in every case. Is there an override?

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941/2 "2020-07-21T18:03:17Z")

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> [@Lance\_Turbo](#):
>
> Joe Blow (D) will face John Doe ®

How about “Joe Blow-D will face John Doe-R”?

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**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941/3 "2020-07-21T18:06:51Z")

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I have several workarounds at my disposal, that’s not what I’m asking for here.

Sometimes I want open paren, R, close paren. Is there a way to do that?

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**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941/4 "2020-07-21T18:08:40Z")

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(R) (C)

Use backslashes before the brackets. \(R\)

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**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941/5 "2020-07-21T18:11:04Z")

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Thank you. Exactly what I was hoping for.

(R)

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941/6 "2020-07-21T18:37:14Z")

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You actually only need the escape character in front of the second parenthesis: (R\) renders as (R)

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-software-is-helpfully-inserting-registered-trademark-symbols/915941/7 "2020-07-21T18:46:48Z")

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Yep. Backslashes are how you escape any of Markdown’s special features. That’s why you have to type two of them to get one, like this:

\