What is the difference between trademark, patent and copyright ?
The terms "trademark," "patent," and "copyright" refer to different types of intellectual property protection, each with its own specific focus and purpose:
* Trademark: A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises. Trademarks are used to protect brand names, logos, slogans, and other identifiers that are unique to a particular business or product. The purpose of a trademark is to prevent confusion in the marketplace, ensuring that consumers can reliably identify the source of a product or service. Trademarks are typically renewed indefinitely as long as they are in use.
* Patent: A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. Patents are intended to encourage innovation by providing inventors with a limited period (usually 20 years) during which they can control the use of their invention. During this time, the patent holder can prevent others from making, using, selling, or distributing the patented invention without permission.
* Copyright: Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished. Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. It gives the creator the exclusive right to use their work in specific ways, such as reproduction, distribution, and display, for a certain period of time, typically the life of the author plus 70 years (this can vary by jurisdiction).
In summary, trademarks protect brand identifiers, patents protect inventions, and copyrights protect the expression of ideas in works of authorship. Each type of protection is distinct and serves a different purpose in the realm of intellectual property law.
