What is the difference between copyright and patent protection?
Copyright and patent protection are two forms of Intellectual Property Law, which is the legal framework for protecting creative works and inventions. In the state of Washington, intellectual property law is governed by the federal Copyright Act, as well as state common law and statutes. Copyright protects the creative works of authors, including literature, music, film, and other artistic works. It provides the exclusive right to the creator to reproduce, publish, and distribute their work. Copyright protection begins automatically upon the creation of the work and lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. Patent protection is for inventions, such as machines, products, methods, and processes. A patent is a legally enforceable grant from the federal government granting exclusivity in making, using, or selling the invention. Patent protection is exclusive, meaning it prevents others from producing, selling, or using the invention without the patent holder’s permission. Patent protection is generally more costly and time consuming than copyright protection. The duration of patent protection is 20 years from the filing date. In sum, the main difference between copyright and patent protection is that copyright protects creative works, while patents protect inventions. Furthermore, copyright protection is automatic whereas patent protection must be obtained, and while copyright lasts longer, patent protection is generally more expensive and time consuming to obtain.
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