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

14-Sep-2025
Patent

Answer By law4u team

The concepts of patent, copyright, and trademark are all forms of intellectual property, but they protect different types of creative work. Here's how they differ: 1. Patent A patent grants exclusive rights to an inventor over their invention for a certain period (usually 20 years). It protects new inventions or technological advancements, which can be a product, process, or machine. To be eligible for a patent, the invention must be novel, non-obvious, and industrially applicable. Key Points: What it protects: Inventions, new processes, machines, or compositions of matter. Duration: Typically 20 years from the filing date. Requirements: Must be new, useful, and non-obvious. Rights: The inventor has the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention. 2. Copyright Copyright protects original literary, artistic, musical, and other creative works. It is automatic upon creation of the work, and the creator has exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, and display the work. Copyright does not protect ideas, but rather the expression of those ideas in a tangible form (like a book, painting, or software code). Key Points: What it protects: Original works of authorship like books, music, paintings, films, software, etc. Duration: Generally, the life of the author + 60 years in India (for works created after 1957). Requirements: The work must be original and fixed in a tangible medium (e.g., written or recorded). Rights: The creator can control how the work is reproduced, distributed, and adapted. 3. Trademark A trademark is a distinctive sign, symbol, word, or logo used by a business or individual to identify their goods or services and distinguish them from others in the marketplace. It protects brand identity, including logos, names, and slogans. Trademarks help consumers recognize the source of a product or service. Key Points: What it protects: Symbols, names, logos, or any distinguishing mark associated with goods or services. Duration: Initially 10 years, with indefinite renewals. Requirements: Must be distinctive and non-descriptive. Rights: The owner has the exclusive right to use the mark in relation to the goods or services for which it is registered. Summary: Patent: Protects inventions and new technologies. Copyright: Protects creative expressions (e.g., literature, art, music). Trademark: Protects brand identity (e.g., logos, product names). These are all crucial in protecting different aspects of intellectual property and ensuring creators and businesses can benefit from their innovations or creations.

Answer By Ayantika Mondal

Dear Client, Thank you for posing that which many put forth as a matter of confusion, we do see that indeed patent, copyright and trademark are types of intellectual property (IP) protection which is what they have in common but what they also do is protect different kinds of assets. Here is an outline of what we see as different: 1. Trademark. What it protects: A patent issues for a new invention. This may be a device, a substance, a method, or a process which is novel, non-obvious, and useful. Purpose: It provides the inventor with a monopoly which is to say that for a limited time which is usually 20 years the inventor has the right to stop others from making, using, or selling the invention. In exchange the inventor at large makes known how the invention is operated. Examples: A different kind of battery technology, a certain chemical compound, a new manufacturing process, or a pharmaceutical drug. 2. Copyright which includes. What it protects: Copyright gives protection to original works of authorship. Which includes creative works that are put into a concrete form such as literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. Purpose: It gives the creator the sole right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or adapt their work. It does not protect the idea within the work but the expression of that idea. Examples: Novems, songs, paintings, photographs, movies, architectural designs, and computer software code. Upon creation copyright protection is automatic but registration is usually recommended for better legal protection. 3. Trade mark. What it protects: A trademark is a brand identifier. This goes out to words, names, slogans, logos and symbols which are used to identify the source of a product or service and which distinguish them from competitors. Purpose: Its main role is to avoid consumer confusion. Also it enables customers to identify with a certain brand and to develop trust in it and at the same time it gives the brand owner the right to stop others from using a similar which may cause confusion. Examples: The Nike checkmark logo, the “Just Do It” tagline, the brand name Apple for computers and smartphones, and the unique design of a Coke bottle. Also it is to be noted that trademarks may be renewed forever so long as the mark is in use. If you have any further questions or require assistance with the court marriage process, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank You!

Answer By Ayantika Mondal

Dear Client, Thank you for posing that which many put forth as a matter of confusion, we do see that indeed patent, copyright and trademark are types of intellectual property (IP) protection which is what they have in common but what they also do is protect different kinds of assets. Here is an outline of what we see as different: 1. Trademark. What it protects: A patent issues for a new invention. This may be a device, a substance, a method, or a process which is novel, non-obvious, and useful. Purpose: It provides the inventor with a monopoly which is to say that for a limited time which is usually 20 years the inventor has the right to stop others from making, using, or selling the invention. In exchange the inventor at large makes known how the invention is operated. Examples: A different kind of battery technology, a certain chemical compound, a new manufacturing process, or a pharmaceutical drug. 2. Copyright which includes. What it protects: Copyright gives protection to original works of authorship. Which includes creative works that are put into a concrete form such as literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. Purpose: It gives the creator the sole right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or adapt their work. It does not protect the idea within the work but the expression of that idea. Examples: Novems, songs, paintings, photographs, movies, architectural designs, and computer software code. Upon creation copyright protection is automatic but registration is usually recommended for better legal protection. 3. Trade mark. What it protects: A trademark is a brand identifier. This goes out to words, names, slogans, logos and symbols which are used to identify the source of a product or service and which distinguish them from competitors. Purpose: Its main role is to avoid consumer confusion. Also it enables customers to identify with a certain brand and to develop trust in it and at the same time it gives the brand owner the right to stop others from using a similar which may cause confusion. Examples: The Nike checkmark logo, the “Just Do It” tagline, the brand name Apple for computers and smartphones, and the unique design of a Coke bottle. Also it is to be noted that trademarks may be renewed forever so long as the mark is in use. If you have any further questions or require assistance with the court marriage process, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank You!

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