What is the difference beween trade marks, copyrights and patents?

Simply put, a patent protects an invention; a copyright protects a written work; and a trade mark protects a "mark" used in trade such as a product name, logo, or slogan.

Hi,

A trade mark is a symbol, or even a word, that is registered to identify a product as being made by a particular manufacturer. The 'Coca-Cola' word in the curly script used on millions of bottles is a Trade Mark.

Copyright is the right held by the original producer of a written, filmed, or performed work. This does not necessarily have to be registered with the copyright office in the country of origin, though most writers, including songwriters, will register their work in order to protect their rights. If you remember the song 'My Way' (sent to Frank Sinatra by Paul Anka, who claimed it as his own work) this song was eventually the reason for a big court case where Paul Anka was sued by the French writer of the song (sorry, I can't remember his name) Paul Anka was ordered to pay several million dollars to the writer for the infringement of his copyright.

The right to 'own' a piece of work is 'copyright'.

Patent rights DO have to be registered to enable the owner to have manufacturing rights.
A patent registration is where an 'inventer' of an idea reserves the rights to his idea. This could be something as simple as a new way to hold paper together in an office, or complex ideas such as computer hardware.

If, for example, you thought of a way of making cars run on water, instead of gasoline, you would need to register with the Patent Office, your idea with supporting paperwork.

The Patent Office will then check to ensure no-one has 'invented' this before. Eventually you will receive a patent number and you will own the rights. Until then you would be able to use the phrase 'patent pending' on any manufactured items.

Patent rights need to be registered for more than just the country of origin (as a number of people have discovered by having eastern developers take a western idea and put it into manufacture, without paying for the use of the idea.)

The one thing that a patent nust have is that the idea must be NEW-you cannot register a patent by adapting a previous idea and changing details...

Hope that explains everything you need clearly.

Cheers,

BobSpain

All three are designed to allow the owner exclusive use of their "property".

A trademark is a name that is registered and protected for certain types or categories of products.

A copyright is protection for written works, video productions, music, and similar items.

A patent protects an invention and can be for a product or a process used to make a product.

Copyrights can be obtained for things of an artistic nature. This includes, of course, poetry, films, sculptures, music, fiction, etc. But can also include things that may not necessarily seem "artistic" in the general sense of the word. Copyrights can also be obtained for advertising copy, games, software programs and blueprints, to name just a few.

Trademarks can be names of products or services, logos, slogans, packaging and even sounds and smells. In essence, a trademark can be almost anything that is used to identify a particular product or service. Registering a trademark grants the owner exclusive rights to the mark within the specified industry.

To protect an original invention OR a significant improvement to an existing product, a patent would be filed. Here's the USPTO's definition: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/index.html#patent

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has a clear answer.

Basically, a patent protects inventors. So if you "patent" a new kind of technology, this means competitors can not "make, use, or sell" this invention.

A copyright has more to do with artistic works. For example, books are often copyrighted so others may not publish them and make a profit.

Trademarks are words, symbols, expressions that distinguishes a product from its competitors. Something like "Chevy Trucks -- Like a Rock."

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