What is the difference between a patent and a trade mark?

A patent and a trade mark are both examples of intellectual property law (IP) in Maryland. Generally speaking, a patent is a type of IP law that grants exclusive rights to an inventor or innovator to make or sell an invention, while a trademark is a type of IP law that grants exclusive rights to an owner to use a specific mark, phrase, or symbol to identify a product or service. The key difference between a patent and a trademark is in the type of protection that is granted. A patent is used to protect an invention from being copied or imitated. Unlike a trademark, a patent applies to the function or design of a product. For example, a patent would protect the design of a new type of car from being copied or duplicated by another company. A trademark, on the other hand, is used to protect the marketing of a product by a business. Unlike a patent, a trademark applies to the specific name, logo, phrase, or slogan that a business uses to market or differentiate its products or services from those of other businesses. For example, the Nike swoosh logo is a trademark that identifies Nike’s products and services from those of other companies. In summary, a patent is used to protect the invention of a product or service, while a trademark is used to identify and distinguish a product or service from those of others. Both a patent and a trademark are important elements of IP law in Maryland, and both are essential for protecting the intellectual property of a business.

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What is the difference between a patent and a trade mark?

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