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

A trademark, patent, and copyright are all forms of intellectual property related to protecting creations of people. Each serve different purposes and are protected by different laws. A trademark is a recognizable sign, design, or expression used to identify a specific brand or product. Trademark law helps protect the owners rights to use their trademark from being infringed upon by competitors in California. Trademarks are identified with an ® or ™ symbol. A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention. Patent law is used to grant inventors the unique right to their invention and prevent others from using or making their invention without their consent. Patents are identified with a patent number and granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Finally, a copyright is an exclusive right granted for an original work of authorship and creativity. Copyright law helps protect authors and creators of original works from other people taking the work and claiming it as their own. The original authors or creators are given exclusive rights to their work and they can choose to give others the right to use it. Copyrights are identified with a © symbol. In summary, a trademark is used to identify a brand or product, a patent is used to protect inventions, and a copyright is used to protect original works of authorship and creativity. Each of these forms of intellectual property are protected by different laws and can be identified by different symbols.

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

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