What is the difference between a copyright and a patent?

Copyright and patent law are closely related, but they are two distinct legal concepts. A copyright is a form of intellectual property protection that grants exclusive rights to the creator of an original work, such as a novel, painting, or song. Copyright law grants the rights to copy, distribute, publicly perform, or display the work of the copyright holder. A patent is another form of intellectual property protection, but it only applies to inventions. In the United States, a patent is issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and grants the inventor exclusive rights to the invention. The patent holder can prevent others from making, using, or selling the invention without their permission. The main difference between copyright and patent law is that copyrights apply to original works of authorship, while patents apply to inventions. In Delaware, copyright law is governed by the Delaware State Copyright Act and patents are governed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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