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Do you still need to register with the government to put a TM in front of your store logo? (store being a ecommerce site) I have a very detailed logo, with characters, the characters are throughout my store, they were hand drawn by me, recommendations? I dont have $$ to spend on this but I dont want anyone taking them. What is the TM vs R
Its a legal thing. You will need an attorney or you can do it yourself. Here is a good diy site:
https://www.legalzoom.com/
It's the circle around the R symbol that requires that you have a registered trademark from the US Patents and Trademark office. Anyone can use the TM symbol. It's inherent, but it can reiterate that your images are trademarked. Applying for a registered trademark is a long process and much more complicated than you may think. I'd think twice about pursuing it until you have significant revenues and some real traction with your business.
Until you're making some good chunk of change, worrying about these kinds of things is a distraction and not something that's worth your money or your time. Go build your business first.