What is the difference between a patent and a copyright?

A patent and a copyright are both types of intellectual property law that protect creators from theft of intellectual material. However, they have different purposes and are governed by different laws. A patent is used to protect inventions and is granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. To be given a patent, an invention must be novel, useful, and non-obvious. If the invention meets these criteria, then the inventor is granted exclusive rights to the invention. This means that only the inventor can use, reproduce, or sell the invention. On the other hand, a copyright is a form of intellectual property law that protects artistic and literary works. This means that a copyright would protect things such as musical compositions, literature, photography, etc. Copyright is granted by the U.S. Copyright Office and grants the owner of the intellectual property exclusive rights to the work. This means that the creator can reproduce, sell, or use the work in any way they see fit. In South Carolina, patents and copyrights are both governed by the federal laws, as well as the state laws. It is important for South Carolinians to understand the differences between the two so that they can properly protect their inventions and works of art.

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