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OUR PRACTICE - A DC PATENT LAW FIRM
The Four Forms of Intellectual Property
“Intellectual property,” also known as “IP,” is a broad term for a class of intangible assets that are creations of the mind. These creations have commercial value and, although they are intangible, are recognized and treated as property. The key forms of IP are patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Each of these forms has different attributes, serves different functions, and works in different ways. Like a portfolio of life, health, auto and homeowner’s insurance policies, strategically using different forms of IP, when appropriate, can offer stronger protection for your intangible assets than any one type alone.
Patents
Patents protect inventions. U.S. Patent Laws grant an inventor exclusive rights for a limited time and, in exchange for these exclusive rights, the inventor is required to reveal the invention to the world via the patent application. These exclusive rights are the value of a patent since anyone wanting to use the invention must get a license from the patent owner. Patents are discussed in more detail on our Patent Services page.
Trademarks
Trademarks protect identifiers of the sources of goods and/or services. Examples of trademarks include names, logos, or packaging that are sufficiently distinctive to service as a source identifier. Famous trademarks include the McDonald’s golden arches, the Nike swoosh, and the shape of a Coca-Cola bottle. U.S. Trademark Laws protect the owner of a trademark from the use of trademarks that are “likely to cause confusion.” Trademarks are critical to marketing and branding campaigns. Trademarks are discussed in more detail on our Trademark Services page.
Copyrights
Copyrights protect the expression in an original, authored work. For a limited time, the author has exclusive rights to that expression and can prevent others from copying it. Copyrights are usually of value to writers, artists, and software engineers. Copyrights are discussed in more detail on our Copyright Services page.
Trade Secrets
Trade secrets protect commercially valuable information that is kept confidential. Examples of trade secrets include client lists or formulae. Trade secrets can be an effective alternative to patents to protect innovation. Trade secrets are discussed in more detail on our Trade Secrets page.
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