When you own a Florida business and your business produces something novel, you may wish to protect it to maintain your competitive edge and prevent others from using or producing the same product or technology. Trademarks, patents and copyrights are all forms of legal protection that give artists, inventors, business owners and many others a legal leg to stand on should someone try to use the protected material. However, there are some important differences that exist among the three.
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, while trademarks, patents and copyrights are all types of intellectual property, they differ from one another in the following ways.
Trademarks
A trademark is typically a logo or something similar that protects a particular brand name or symbol. It could be a word, phrase, design or any combination thereof and helps prevent other businesses from using a logo or other identifier that is similar to yours.
Patents
If you are looking to protect an invention, device or process, you may want to secure a patent. To get a patent, your invention or product has to be new and novel in nature. The patent helps prevent others from using the same process, or manufacturing your device, without your permission.
Copyrights
Many people rely on copyrights to protect literary or artistic works, such as manuscripts, books and songs. Copyrights are for tangible items and give you the exclusive right to use, distribute and reproduce the copywritten work.
There are other important distinctions that exist among trademarks, patents and copyrights, including how long each lasts and how far they extend in the geographic sense.