Intellectual Property (IP) protection helps businesses and creators safeguard their ideas, innovations, and brand identity. However, many people get confused between patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Each serves a different purpose and protects a different type of intellectual asset. Understanding these differences is essential to choose the right protection for your work.
What Is a Patent?
A patent protects new inventions and technical innovations. It gives the inventor exclusive rights to make, use, sell, or license the invention for a limited period.
What it protects:
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New products or machines
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Manufacturing processes
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Technical improvements or innovations
Key points:
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Must be novel, non-obvious, and useful
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Usually valid for 20 years from the filing date
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Prevents others from using the invention without permission
Example: A new type of medical device or a unique manufacturing process.
What Is a Trademark?
A trademark protects brand identifiers that distinguish one business from another. It helps customers identify the source of goods or services.
What it protects:
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Brand names
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Logos and symbols
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Taglines and slogans
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Product or service names
Key points:
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Protects brand identity, not the product itself
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Can be renewed indefinitely as long as it is in use
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Helps prevent brand confusion in the market
Example: A company logo, brand name, or slogan.
What Is Copyright?
Copyright protects original creative works and expressions. It applies automatically once the work is created and fixed in a tangible form.
What it protects:
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Books and articles
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Music and films
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Software code
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Artwork, photographs, and designs
Key points:
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Protects the expression of ideas, not the idea itself
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Typically lasts for the lifetime of the creator plus several years (varies by country)
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Registration strengthens legal enforcement
Example: A blog post, a song, or a mobile app’s source code.
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