Intellectual property Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.

 

Intellectual property laws cover ideas, inventions, literary creations, unique names, business models, industrial processes, computer program code, and more, encompassing the areas of patent, copyright and trademark laws. It is designed to encourage the development of literature, art, science, and information by granting property rights to creative and inventive people. These rights allow originators and inventors to protect themselves from infringement, the unauthorized use and misuse of their creations.

 

Patent is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the Patent and Trademark Office. A patent gives the inventor exclusive rights to restrict others from making unauthorized use of his or her invention for a limited period of time which is usually 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States. Generally, the patent process is generally very long – taking 2-3 years before an application is finally approved.

 

Copyright is an exclusive right granted to authors, artists, composers, and publishers to produce and distribute their works. It generally protects works of creation, including literary works (books and magazines) Musical works Dramatic works (movies, plays, and television shows) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works (paintings, photographs, sculptures) Audio-visual works Sound recordings Architectural works and Computer Software. Copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years.

 

Trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or any combination and allows businesses to protect the symbolic information that relates to their goods and services, by preventing use of the information by competitors. Trademarks can be distinctive words, phrases, logos, symbols, slogans or other things that identify the source of the product and make it distinctive. The trademark is protected for a period of 20 years, indefinitely renewable.