Quick Guide: Citations – APA – Page 7

APA Style: Trademarks

In the following example, the author used a trademarked name directly within their manuscript. As long as the use of a trademarked name or phrase is not defamatory and does not imply a connection between the trademark and you or Cognella, you may use it. Be sure to capitalize the trademarked name; APA does not require use of the trademark symbol or of quotation marks around the name.

Example: 

In chapter 2, we will begin looking at IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).

Best Practices for Using a Trademark Properly

Always distinguish a trademark from surrounding text by:

  • Using it in all capital letters (or initial capitalization) (example – CANON cameras or Canon cameras);
  • Using it in a bold, italic, or underlined font (example – Canon cameras, Canon cameras, Canon cameras);
  • Placing it within quotation marks (example – “Canon cameras”);
  • Or using a stylized, graphic form (example – Canon cameras).

Be sure to use spacing, hyphenation, capitalization, etc. consistently throughout your manuscript (example – NESCAFÉ coffee, not NES CAFÉ coffee).

Use a trademark as an adjective to modify a noun, rather than using a trademark as a noun or verb.

Correct: You skate while using ROLLERBLADE in-line skates.

Incorrect: You are rollerblading.

Additionally, the generic noun that identifies the product or service should be used immediately after the trademark (example – Scotch brand transparent tape).

Be careful not to modify a trademark by making it plural (example – OREO cookies rather than OREOs).

Do not use a trademark in the possessive form unless the trademark is inherently possessive (example – JACK DANIEL’S whiskey rather than JACK DANIELS whiskey).