What is the difference between copyright and trademark?

Copyright and trademark law are two distinct areas of the law that protect different forms of intellectual property. Copyright law pertains to the protection of creative works such as movies, books, music, and artwork. This type of intellectual property is the result of someone’s creative efforts and the copyright law grants a certain right to the creator to control who can copy, publish, and distribute their works. On the other hand, trademark law protects the use of symbols, words, names, or designs that are associated with a specific product or service of a particular company. The trademark can be used to distinguish a company’s products or services from those of its competitors. This allows the company to maintain an identity for its products and services enabling customers to recognize them. The trademark also prevents competitors from confusing their products with those of the trademark holder. In Florida, laws have been established that govern the registration and enforcement of copyrighted and trademarked works. To qualify for registration of a copyright in Florida, a work must be an original work of authorship that has been fixed in tangible form. In order to secure a trademark in Florida, a company must submit an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In summary, the major difference between copyright and trademark is that the former is used to protect creative works such as books, movies, music, and artwork, while the latter is used to distinguish and protect a company’s products and services.

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