Inventor's Guide to Trademarks and Patents, The

The History of Trademarks

The topic of trademark legislation has been an important topic in the United States dating as far back as 1791 when Thomas Jefferson advocated trademark laws. Individual states in the United States then began to pass their own laws (i.e., Michigan in 1842 required that all timber be marked with its origin).

Federal legislation concerning trademarks did not come to pass until July of 1870 with the law on registration of trademarks. This law was soon repealed because it conflicted with Constitutional principals. In 1881, a new law was created, and in 1905, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was created, whereby all trademark registrations are (to this day) handled.

TRADEMARKS AND SERVICE MARKS The symbols (R)—® or TM—™ ...