How do copyrights, patents and trademarks differ?
Copyrights, patents, and trademarks are legal protections for different types of intellectual property. While each has its own rules and applications, they sometimes overlap so that more than one could apply to the same article or service, although in practice usually only one type of protection is granted. Copyright protects the expression of an idea. It protects the original creative works of artists, authors, and musicians from unauthorized copying and use by others. Books, music, sculpture, choreography, and jewelry design are examples of creative expression that can be copyrighted. Copyright laws encourage creativity and intellectual pursuits by allowing artists to profit from their creations. A patent protects the application of an idea. If an inventor creates a new, nonobvious, and useful machine, chemical, or process; or a new and nonobvious design or plant; and receives a patent, others are prohibited from copying the invention for a period of time. The inventor then can profi
Copyrights, patents and trademarks are legal protections for different types of intellectual property. While each has its own rules and applications, they can overlap so that more than one kind of protection applies to the same article or service. In practice, however, usually only one type of protection is granted. A copyright protects the expression of ideas. It protects the original creations of artists, authors and musicians from unauthorized copying and use by others. Books, music, sculpture, choreography and jewelry are examples of creative expression that can be copyrighted. Copyright laws encourage creativity and intellectual pursuits by allowing artists to profit from their creations. A patent protects the application of an idea. If an inventor creates or discovers a new, nonobvious and useful device, chemical or process; a new, original and ornamental design; or a new and distinct asexually reproducing plant and receives a patent, others are prohibited from making, using, sel
