Problem showing Trademark symbol using ascii code in Flex 3

Question

I am facing problem in displaying trademark symbol (™) using ascii codes(it is showing square symbol). I have ascii code stored in the database for trademark symbol(ascii code "™" ). So I can't use Hexa code instead of ascii code. But using ascii code I am able to show copyright symbol. Following is the sample code :
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="vertical">
    <mx:Script>
        var trademarkSymbol = "\u2122";
        var trademarkSymbol1 = "&#153;";
        var copyrightSymbol = "\u00A9";
        var copyrightSymbol1 = "&#169;";
    </mx:Script>
    <mx:Label text="Macromedia™"/>
    <mx:Label text="Macromedia{trademarkSymbol}"/>
    <mx:Label text="Macromedia{trademarkSymbol1}"/>      \\ problem  code
    <mx:Label text="Macromedia©"/>
    <mx:Label text="Macromedia{copyrightSymbol}"/>
    <mx:Label text="Macromedia{copyrightSymbol1}"/>
</mx:Application>
Please suggest some solution.
Regards
Rajat Sahni

Answer 1

You must use Unicode values, not Windows extended ASCII values.
The Unicode value of a copyright symbol is hex 00A9 or decimal 169. This happens to be the same as where it is in a Windows' extended ASCII character set, but this is irrelevant. The Unicode value of a copyright symbol is hex 2122 or decimal 8482. In Windows' extended ASCII it has a different value, hex 99 or decimal 153, but again this is irrelevant.
So the reason you think it "works" for the copyright and not for the trademark is that the two character sets agree on the value of the copyright but disagree on the value of the trademark.
Moral: Find a good Unicode table.
Gordon Smith
Adobe Flex SDK Team