What’s the difference between the three?
Obviously:
© = Copyright
® = Registered trademark
[sup]TM[/sup] = Trademark
But in practical terms, what is the difference between them or is it different names for the same thing - stopping other people from using something that belongs to you?
Grim
A trademark is basically a brand name.
A copyright is, quite simple, who has the right to a publish a literary, dramatic, musical, visual/artistic work.
Registered trademarks have legal protection of the law. IIRC, a simple TM means the trademark is not registered with the patent office. The legal ramifications of this I don’t know, but I suspect it has much less power (if any) than an “R” - a registered trademark.
For example, I take pictures. I would not tradmark pictures. My photos are not a brand name. I could copyright my photos. If I come up with a cool, unique name for my company and don’t want anybody to steal it, then I could register a trademark for that name, say “ActionPix.” Then I have full rights to that name, and no one else can use it. That is, unless my name becomes generic. Some examples of words that were registered trademarks but have lost their protection because the name became synonymous with the product are: aspirin, yo-yo, dry ice, zipper, kerosene, etc… That’s why companies want you to use their names as adjectives. I.e. “Kleenex facial tissues” or “Q-Tips cotton swabs” or “Xerox photocopies,” etc.
In U.S. law (in a nutshell):
TM (trademark) – Denotes a brand name of a product (Kleenex). Anyone may use TM for a trademark that they have begun using.
SM (service mark) – Denotes a brand name of a service (Federal Express). Anyone may use SM for a service mark they have begun using.
R (registered mark) – denotes a mark that has been formally registered with the government. As pulykamell noted, R gives much more legal protection (such as ability to prevent others from using the mark) than TM or SM.
C (copyright) – protection for intellectual property. An expression of an idea is protected by copyright as soon as it is fixed in tangible form. You can also add the C symbol to show that you are claiming copyright. Copyright can also be formally registered, but there is no special symbol.
Good answers - thank you!!