What is the difference between copyright and patent protection?
Copyright and patent protection are two forms of intellectual property law that protect creative works and inventions, respectively. Copyright protects authors and other creators of creative works including books, music, and films by giving them the exclusive right to copy, distribute, and make derivative works from their original creations. Copyright applies to all types of creative works, regardless of whether they are published or unpublished. In contrast, patent protection applies to new inventions or processes, and provides the inventor with the exclusive right to make, use, and sell the invention. The key difference between copyright and patent protection is the type of work that they protect. Copyright protects creative works, such as books and artwork, while patent protection protects inventions, such as machines and processes. Copyright lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years, while patents are usually valid for 20 years. Copyrights are automatically created when a creative work is created, while patents require the filing of an application with the appropriate patent office. In Tennessee, the copyright and patent laws are established by federal law, and are applied uniformly across the country. As such, the same basic principles and rights of copyright and patent law apply in Tennessee as in other states. As a 10th-grade student in Tennessee, it is important that you understand the basic differences between copyright and patent protection so that you can properly protect your rights to any creative works or inventions that you create.
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