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The three main components of intellectual property are Patents, Trademarks,
and Copyrights. A Patent is a right
granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office “to exclude
others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling” the
invention in the United States or “importing” the invention
into the United States. A trademark
is a word, name, phrase,symbol, or device that is used to identify
“the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods
of others.” Patent rights prevent a competitor from selling
your invention, but Trademark rights may be used to prevent others
from using a confusingly similar mark to sell the same goods or services
as you are selling. A Copyright
protects the author’s “original works of authorship”
including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other
intellectual works, both published and unpublished. The copyright
protects the form of expression rather than the subject matter of
the writing.
For example, if you have a company which sells koi ponds, you could
patent a new and unique above-ground koi pond, trademark the name
of your company and the name of the above-ground koi pond to prevent
your competitors from using these names, and copyright the advertising
brochure you use to sell the koi ponds and the owner’s manuals
that you give away with them.
For more detailed information on Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights
please select a link below:
 Patents
Trademarks
Copyrights
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| This information is provided for
educational purposes only. You should not rely on the information
presented here as a substitute for professional advice. Legal advice
needs to be tailored to specific circumstances, and you should therefore
consult with an attorney for advice regarding your particular situation.
No attorney-client relationship is created by presentation of this
information. |
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