A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A patent protects an invention. A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work. For example, if you invent a new kind of vacuum cleaner, you'd apply for a patent to protect the invention itself.
Trademarks, patents, copyrights, domain names, and business name registrations all differ, so it's important to learn whether a trademark is appropriate for you. A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A patent protects an invention.
Trademarking your company name provides essential legal protection, which enhances brand recognition and increases your business's financial value. These benefits help safeguard your brand against infringement and competition.
So, getting your Federal trademark comes down to meeting the same four trademark requirements: No conflicts with other trademarks. Trademark distinctiveness. Use in commerce. The capability to be a source identifier.
Length of Protection: Patents are granted for a limited time (typically 20 years), while trademarks can last indefinitely if used continuously and maintained properly. Who They Protect: Patents protect the rights of inventors, while trademarks protect the reputation and goodwill of a business.
Patents are typically used to protect new and useful machines, processes, compositions of matter, and improvements thereof. In summary, trademarks protect branding and identification of goods and services, while patents protect inventions and prevent others from making, using, or selling the same invention.
Copyright is an automatic right which protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. A Patent is a registered right that gives the owner exclusive right to features and processes of inventions. A Trade Mark protects logos and signs that are used in relation to a particular type of product or service.
The Coca-Cola Corp owns the trademark to the name Coca-Cola, as well as the trademark on the bottle shape, and the graphic representation of their name. These are all things that help distinguish them from other cola brands and define their individual product. Coca-Cola also owns the patent on their formula.
Assuming that a patent is available for the subject matter of your concept, that's the way to prevent others from pursuing the same product concept. A trademark, however, is useful—and often crucial—when you are building a brand for your product or service.
Ing to the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, the U.S. Copyright Office may register a claim to copyright in a patent or a patent application, provided that the work contains a sufficient amount of original authorship.