What is the difference between a Copyright and a Trademark?
Trademark registration is the primary tool for legally protecting a property for purposes of commercial exploitation. U.S. trademarks can be renewed indefinitely if the marks in question continue to be used commercially. For maximum protection, properties should be registered separately in each relevant product classification in each country where they will be licensed or where infringement is likely to occur. Names, graphics and other elements that serve to differentiate one product line from another can be registered as trademarks. Copyright is an automatic right that begins with the creation of a work of art, literature or music; it expires 70 years after the death of the creator. Registration in the U.S. is effective virtually worldwide and is suggested but not required for full protection. For most retail product licensing, copyrights are a secondary method of protecting logos and character designs. Full legal protection is expensive; licensors need to weigh the costs and benefits
