History Main / TradeSnark

* The ''MonkeyIsland'' games have them in the dialog text, but not the voice acting in the later games. Some characters seem to notice their presence even so; in ''Escape from Monkey Island'', a lawyer complements Guybrush on "Nice use of the ™" in Melee Island™.

* TheNamelessMod: The subtitles for the speech of Goats shows that they trademarked slightly misspelled versions of every other word. The most important one is "Melk™"

* CCP hf is known for having patches that will be released "Soon™".

* Back when {{UNIX}} was first released as a commercial product in 1983, AT&T started insisting that people refer to it as "the UNIX(tm) Operating System" or something similar to that. People on {{Usenet}} almost immediately started referring to the OS as "UN* X" as a subtle TakeThat, and there was even one BSD-based product called [[SdrawkcabName "MT XINU"]] whose advertising included such things as a BSD-powered [[StarWars X-Wing]] rocketing away from [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an AT&T logo wreathed in flames.]] This became less popular after AT&T sold off the UNIX group in the mid-1990s.
** Ironically, during the late 1990s, the OpenSource Unix clone Linux (you've heard of it I assume) ran into trademark trouble when a random troll named William Della Croce secured the trademark and attempted to shake down the community for usage rights. Della Croce disappeared back into the woodwork when the trademark was revoked and reassigned to Linus Torvalds himself.

* Realtors must be called [[AC:REALTORS]]®. Yes, with the asscaps.

* ''[[ImOK I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator]]'' had the final boss [[spoiler: a giant ([[SuperMarioBros Mario]])]] with a trademark symbol hanging in mid air next to him at all times.
* Some ''[[TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' comics have Homer using these in his speech bubbles.
* From ''TheSimpsons'' show itself:
-->'''Campers:''' We will always love Kamp Krusty / A registered trademark of the Krusty Korporation / All rights reserved!
* Used a lot in the ''ThursdayNext'' series, especially the '''Goliath'''™ Corporation ("for all you'll ever need™"), but also the Toast™ Marketing Board and others. In the Bookworld, there's the [=UltraWord=]™ story delivery system. (Earlier systems, such as BOOK 8.3 which the Bookworld returns to at the end of the novel, are not trademarked and are presumably open source).
* The ''MonkeyIsland'' games have them in the dialog text, but not the voice acting in the later games. Some characters seem to notice their presence even so; in ''Escape from Monkey Island'', a lawyer complements Guybrush on "Nice use of the ™" in Melee Island™.
* ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series}}''™: "...with my all new DUEL DISK SYSTEM! ...Trademark".
* DaveBarry's book ''Dave Barry In Cyberspace'' features a RunningGag of referring to Microsoft's products (especially versions of Windows®©™) with trademark symbols after the names, including one long sequence in which other bizarre symbols are put after things, such as "Windows 95[[superscript:[[TakeThat BILLGATESISAWIENER]]]]."
* Will Ferguson's ''Happiness™'' is about a self-help book that actually works, turning people into happy zombies and making the publishing company so much money that they trademark the word "happiness".
* Guru Pitka of ''The Love Guru'' used these on advice-giving acronyms.
* [[http://bash.org/?246624 This]] bash.org quote.
* The [=BEYOND=] Corporation© from ''{{Nextwave}}''.

* CCP hf is known for having patches that will be released "Soon™".
** Not just patches. Planetary interaction, atmospheric flight, walking in stations, and numerous other promised features have been coming Soon™ for years. Even admittedly unfinished COSMOS sites have agents handing you missions with the helpful and in-depth description of "Soon™".
*** Soon™ shows up in other [=MMOs=] aswell. Typical response to somebody asking when the next patch will come in WorldOfWarcraft forums is "Soon™", followed by another post explaining the terms of use of the "Soon" trademark.
* On the website ryansheppard.com the main comic is known as TM(tm) being a parody of this trope even though there are no actual trademarks on the name but some are pending.
* On an episode of ''TheBigBangTheory'', Howard uses Google Street Views to find the location of the set of ''America's Next Top Model''. He reacts, "God bless you, Google Street Views Registered Trademark!"
* "The expression '[[BreakfastOfChampions Breakfast of Champions]]' is a registered trademark of GeneralMills, Inc. for use on a breakfast cereal product. The use of the identical expression as the title for KurtVonnegut's book is not intended to indicate an association with or sponsorship by General Mills, nor is it intended to disparage their fine products."
* Hardcore™: We'll probably get modded for this.
* The last line of StephenColbert's "[[ChristmasSongs Another Christmas Song]]" is "Copyright Stephen Colbert!"
** He occasionally adds "Trademark." after made-up words on ''TheColbertReport'', with one note directed specifically at [[FoxNewsChannel Fox News]] stating that he held the copyright on the phrase "No Fact Zone".
* ''{{Futurama}}'''s Momcorp apparently holds the trademarks on "screen door" and "love", among other words.
** The Nimbus's laser cannon has a maximum power setting labeled Hyperdeath™.
* In AHDotComTheSeries, {{Thande}}'s all-purpose suggestion to solve any problem is "Daring Commando Raid™"

* The [[strike:faux]] legally binding copyright symbol on the bottom of the MSPaintAdventures home page.

* In a dismaying example from RealLife, [[BarneyAndFriends Barney's]] catchphrase. And the names of his friends. ''Super-dee-Duper™, Baby Bop™!''
* ''HomestarRunner'' has Sbemailiarized Entertainment™ © ® [[RunningGag LLC,,.]] Esq., which becomes Sbemailiarized Entertainment™ © ® LLC,,. GQ and Sbemailiarized Entertainment™ © ® LLC,,. FHM.

* In an episode of ''TinyToonAdventures'', a [[{{Batman}} Bat-signal]] appears in the air, with a "TM" quickly flying up next to it.

* Occasionally played straight in ComicBooks when someone will say the name of a character and the name appears as their logo in the SpeechBubble.
-->Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman™!

* [[http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20506=wmv ScrewAttack's list of Worst Fighting Games Ever]] says "Batman (trademark) and Superman (trademark)" during ''Justice League Task Force''.
* Back when {{UNIX}} was first released as a commercial product in 1983, AT&T started insisting that people refer to it as "the UNIX(tm) Operating System" or something similar to that. People on {{Usenet}} almost immediately started referring to the OS as "UN* X" as a subtle TakeThat, and there was even one BSD-based product called [[SdrawkcabName "MT XINU"]] whose advertising included such things as a BSD-powered [[StarWars X-Wing]] rocketing away from [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an AT&T logo wreathed in flames.]] This became less popular after AT&T sold off the UNIX group in the mid-1990s.
** Ironically, during the late 1990s, the OpenSource Unix clone Linux (you've heard of it I assume) ran into trademark trouble when a random troll named William Della Croce secured the trademark and attempted to shake down the community for usage rights. Della Croce disappeared back into the woodwork when the trademark was revoked and reassigned to Linus Torvalds himself.
** Actually, [[http://www.linuxmark.org/attribution.php you're required to write Linux®]] anyway. This fact is great for countertrolling Slashtards who can't help but reflexively type out "(TM) Micro$oft(TM) Whinedoze(TM)(TM)".

* ''"The words [=ScreeWee=] (tm), Empire (tm) and Mankind (tm) are registered trademarks of Gobi Software, Tibet."'' -- TerryPratchett, OnlyYouCanSaveMankind

* The WWF ({{WWE}}) No Mercy manual (and probably others) had a TM symbol for every [[strike:wrestler]] superstar mentioned in the opening blurb. As in: "Matt Hardy™ went on to fight Christian™..."
** "All World Wrestling Entertainment programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the [[http://www.wwe.com/help/generalfaq/copyright exclusive property]] of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries."
** According to a minor wrestler just starting, the entire reason that [[BigBad Vince McMahon]] has them take face names: so he can own the name and persona.
** Of course, the memorable backfire is of Gangrel™, a trademark of [[WorldOfDarkness White Wolf]].
*** I'd say it's more memorable that Hulk Hogan is used with permission from Marvel comics myself.
** It appears often in other materials; the TabletopGame 'Know Your Role' also has scattered trademark symbols on various wrestlers. It's not omnipresent, but it's likely to show up when a group are listed.
* A serious employment of Trade Snark from ''CountdownWithKeithOlbermann'' - In one of his Special Comments, the host refers to the way the September 11 attacks are used as a fear-mongering tactic by politicians, to the point where it is nothing more than a product used to win votes. Throughout the comment, Olbermann drives it into our minds by referring to the attacks as "9/11(tm)" over and over.
* Another RogerEbert [[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090623/REVIEWS/906239997 example]], from his review of ''[[{{Film/Transformers}} Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen]]'': "The dialog of the Autobots®, Decepticons® and Otherbots® is meaningless word flap."
* Numerous A-list porn stars have their names (or, more accurately, their stage names) trademarked. This is disconcerting enough, but particulary weird in the case of alt-porn star Stoya, whose stage name is no more than a clipped form of her real last name.
* Tell him that's silly to HarlanEllison, who actually ''did'' register his name as a trademark.
* More than one wag has pointed out that, for half a century, Robin® the Boy Wonder™ wore something that looked uncannily like a Registered Trademark symbol ''on his chest''.
* The "{{Technobabble}} Box™" series from TheWayOfTheMetagamer.
* In one episode of ''SgtFrog'', Fuyuki worries that Saburo might be an MIB. The [[FunWithSubtitles Gag Dubtitles]] are quick to point out, "Fuyuki is using the generic 'Men in Black,' not the trademarked 'Men in Black™.'"

* Jackson Stewart and Oliver Oken of ''HannahMontana'' ended their (in)famous cheese jerky rap with "Sizzlin' Stewart & Smokin' Oken Enterprises. Patent pending." Also, Rico owns the North American rights to his [[{{Catchphrase}} catch phrases]] "Hey-O!" and "Muahahahaha!"
* [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5377900/3/Vindication_of_an_Evil_Angel This]] ''CodeGeass'' FanFic has Suzaku using the GRIN™ on Lelouch.

* RetardedAnimalBabies blows this out the window in episode 3. Matt Groening says that he is here to prevent RAB from out-grossing his "vastly superior Simpsons©®™©®©©®©™™©©™™™™™™ movie. (Make sure subtitles are on.)"
* The shortlived, humorous {{Marvel}} comic ''What The?'' used this gag more than once.

* Tell him that's silly to HarlanEllison, who actually ''did'' register his name as a trademark. [[PulpFiction Go ahead! Try saying [it's silly] one more time! I dare you! I double-dog dare you, motherfucker!]]

* In the story ''Feed'' they don't have clouds, they have clouds™.

-->''Paging through the movie's press kit, I came across this quote attributed to Amy Jo Johnson, who plays Kimberly, the Pink Power Ranger: " ''[='=]Mighty Morphin PowerRangers™: TheMovie[='=]'' is a mix between ''[='=]StarWars[='=]'' and ''[='=]{{The Wizard of Oz}}.[='=]''" I wonder if Amy Jo actually said "TM" when she was delivering that wonderfully fresh and spontaneous quote, which is so much more involved than anything she says in the movie.''

* ''I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator'' had the final boss ([[SuperMarioBros Mario]]) with a trademark symbol hanging in mid air next to him at all times.

&type-->''Paging through the movie's press kit, I came across this quote attributed to Amy Jo Johnson, who plays Kimberly, the Pink Power Ranger: " ''[='=]Mighty Morphin PowerRangers™: TheMovie[='=]'' is a mix between ''[='=]StarWars[='=]'' and ''[='=]{{The Wizard of Oz}}.[='=]''" I wonder if Amy Jo actually said "TM" when she was delivering that wonderfully fresh and spontaneous quote, which is so much more involved than anything she says in the movie.''

<<|SelfDemonstratingArticle|>>

-->''Paging through the movie's press kit, I came across this quote attributed to Amy Jo Johnson, who plays Kimberly, the Pink Power Ranger: " ''[='=]Mighty Morphin PowerRangers™: TheMovie[='=]'' is a mix between ''[='=]StarWars[='=]'' and ''[='=]{{The Wizard of Oz}}.[='=]''" I wonder if Amy Jo actually said "TM" when she was delivering that wonderfully fresh and spontaneous quote, which is so much more involved than anything she says in the movie.''

* The old gamer legend that back in the day of their apparently short-lived ''{{Indiana Jones}}'' role-playing game, TSR (then-owners of [[DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]) actually trademarked the term "{{Nazi}}".

* [[http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20506&type=wmv ScrewAttack's list of Worst Fighting Games Ever]] says "Batman (trademark) and Superman (trademark)" during ''Justice League Task Force''.

* Tell him that's silly to The Chairman of the Board, noneother than FrankSinatra, who actually ''did'' register his name as a trademark. [[PulpFiction Go ahead! Try saying [it's silly] one more time! I dare you! I double-dog dare you, motherfucker!]]

* Realtors must now be called REALTORS®. Yes, with the asscaps.

* Retarded Animal Babies blows this out the window in episode 3. Matt Hasselhoff says that he is here to prevent RAB from out-grossing his "vastly superior Simpsons©®™©®©©®©™™©©™™™™™™ movie."

* {{Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series}}™: "...with my all new DUEL DISK SYSTEM! ...Trademark".

''Tradesnark, Humorous, Things, Random, Trademark, Symbols, Commentary, Funny, World, Spice and Examples are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of [=TropeCo/TropeCo.=] in the United States and/or other countries. © 2101 All rights reserved.''

''Tradesnark, Humorous, Things, Random, Trademark, Symbols, Commentary, Funny, World, Spice and Examples are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of [=TropeCo/TropeCo.=] in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved.''

* Tell him that's silly to The Chairman of the Board, noneother than FrankSinatra, who actually ''did'' register his name as a trademark. [[PulpFiction Go ahead! Try saying [it's silly] one more time! I dare you! I double-dog dare you!]]

* In a dismaying example from RealLife, [[TheBarney Barney's]] catchphrase. And the names of his friends. ''Super-dee-Duper™, Baby Bop™!''

A humorous way to make Things®© stand out is to add Random Trademark Symbols®© everywhere. May be used as a Social Commentary®© on our increasingly homogenised, commercialised World®©, but more often than not, done just because of the {{Rule Of Funny}}™.