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Why Google uses TM not R?
Why Yahoo uses R not TM?

From: http://lawjustice.blogspot.com/2005/10/tm-r-c-pat-pend.html

<<TM

TM stands for trademark. A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of these elements, used to identify or distinguish the goods and services of one company (or individual) from others. The TM-symbol is often used to indicate that the producer of the product started a procedure to obtain trademark-protection but did not get the final approval yet.

(R)

This stands for registered trademark. This is a warning towards competitors : "Watch out! This trademark has been registered! Don't you try to copy it!" In contrast to TM it means that de protection procedure was successful and protection as a trademark has been granted to the producer. In other words, the trademark is a valid registered trademark.
Both TM and (R) are symbols mainly used in the USA. In the Benelux countries (unlike the USA), we are unfamiliar with the requirement to use these symbols. In the Benelux there are no fixed rules or legislation for the application of these symbols, which can be used provided that they relate to an actual registered trademark. They may not be used in a misleading way.>>

James
Trademark can be used without any registrations ?
see this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark

What would change, legally, for Google if they'd remove the "TM" from the homepage?