Hello Daverill,
"Use of the ® symbol prior to registering your new logo may be considered illegal by many government agencies. LogoTournament.com will remove any entries that contain the ® mark to avoid any potential problems for all parties to the contest. We appreciate your understanding.
For further information please visit:
http://www.uspto.gov/faq/trademarks.jsp#_Toc275426682"more here:
https://logotournament.com/help/designer/133