Patents
Patents protect inventions and innovations by granting exclusive usage rights to their creators. Granted by the government of a particular country, these intellectual rights are generally valid for a limited period – typically for 20 years. To keep the granted patent valid, patent owners need to pay renewal fees every year. It’s a jurisdictional right and is valid only in the country where patent applications are filed. Patent protection prevents making, using, selling or importing patented technology without the permission from patent owner. Patents can cover new processes, products/platforms/solutions, software architecture compositions of matter, or improvements thereof.
Trademarks
Trademarks are symbols, names, logos, slogans/taglines, or designs used to distinguish the goods or services of one party from those of others. Trademark protection prevents unauthorized use of the mark and helps consumers identify and associate products with a particular brand.
Copyrights
Copyrights protect original works of authorship, such as literary, artistic, musical, and dramatic works. Computer programs, source code, new algorithms or flow charts are also protected through copyrights. Copyright owners have the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, and create derivative works based on their creations.
Design patents
Design patents protect an external design of products/components with respect to lines, and patterns applied in 2D to an article. It doesn’t protect the function of products. Design patents can cover new designs of products or websites, GUI etc.
