Intellectual Property Questions and Answers

What does Intellectual Property refer to?

Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights are three types of intellectual property protection. They are different and serve different purposes.

What are Patents?

Patents protect inventions, and improvements to existing inventions.

What are Trademarks?

Trademarks include any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods.

What are Service Marks?

Service marks include any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce, to identify and distinguish the services of one provider from services provided by others, and to indicate the source of the services.

What are Copyrights?

Copyrights protect literary, artistic, and musical works.