What is the difference between a patent, a copyright, and a trademark?

Patents, copyrights, and trademarks are three different legal forms of intellectual property protection. A patent is a form of intellectual property right given by the government to an inventor or innovator that grants exclusive rights to the inventor for a predetermined period of time. The inventor can prevent others from making, using, selling, or importing the invention. In New York, the Supreme Court of the United States has the authority to grant patents. Copyrights are another form of intellectual property protection, but this protection covers creative works such as books, plays, songs, and artwork. The copyright holder has exclusive rights to make copies, distribute them, perform them, or display them in public. Copyrights must be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Trademarks protect brands and symbols that represent products and services. Unlike patents and copyrights, trademarks do not necessarily need to be registered with the federal government, but permission may be necessary if the mark is to be used in interstate commerce. In New York, trademarks must be registered with the New York Secretary of State. In summary, patents protect inventions or innovative processes from being copied or used, copyrights protect creative works from being reproduced, and trademarks protect brands and symbols from being copied. All three forms of intellectual property protection vary in how they need to be registered and what they protect.

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What is the difference between a patent, a copyright, and a trademark?

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