TRADEMARKS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although not as popular with collectors as cartridge or front label design variants, the use of different trademark symbols on the games' front and back labels represents a huge number of variants. In order to have a good understanding of what games you actually have in your collection, you'll need to be able to identify these symbols.
™
Trademark (™)
In order to legally protect a name, symbol, design, or other piece of intellectual property, a company or individual can submit an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to make legal claim to it. After this application has been filed the company can use the ™ symbol to indicate ownership.
​®
Registered Trademark (®)
Once the trademark application is approved (which can take several years) the company becomes the proud owner of a Registered Trademark and can start to use the ® symbol. Occasionally the word "registered" is abbreviated as "Rd." in place of the symbol.
​©
Copyright (©)
Copyright indicates ownership of a work, such as a book, song, or video game. This legal protection extends to the characters, storyline, title, artwork, music, etc. Only the owner of the copyright can approve publishing of the work.
â“‚
Mask Work (â“‚)
The legal definition of a mask work is tedious and technical. In relation to NES games, it is essentially a copyright of the PCB, it's specific design and chip layout.