What is the difference between a patent and a copyright?

A patent and a copyright are both forms of intellectual property law, but they have distinct differences. A patent protects inventions, meaning any new, useful, and non-obvious product, process, machine, or composition of matter that can be legally protected. Patents are usually granted to inventors and provide the inventor with the exclusive right to make, use, or sell that invention for a certain number of years. A copyright, on the other hand, is a form of protection for original works of authorship such as literature, art, music, and other forms of expression. It grants the copyright holder the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, and publicly display those works for a certain number of years. In Michigan, patents are filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, while copyright is filed with the United States Copyright Office. The main difference between a patent and a copyright is that a patent protects an invention, while a copyright protects an original work of authorship.

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