Trademarks, patents, and copyrights are different types of intellectual property. They each serve different purposes and offer various protections.
Patent:
Legally protects technical inventions such as compositions, articles of manufacturing, processes, or machine designs that are new, usable, and applicable in specific industries.
Example: A new type of medical device.
Benefits of federal protection: Safeguards inventions from being copied, used, or sold without the inventor's consent.
Trademark:
Legally protects a word, phrase, design, or combination that identifies your goods or services, distinguishes them from others, and indicates their source.
Example: Topo Chico®.
Benefits of federal protection: Prevents others from using a similar trademark without permission and safeguards your trademark from being registered by others.
Copyright:
Legally protects artistic, literary, or intellectual creations such as novels, music, movies, software code, photographs, and paintings that are original and exist in tangible mediums.
Example: Song lyrics to "Kill Bill" by SZA.
Benefits of federal protection: Grants exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display the work, preventing unauthorized copying or exploitation.
