Difference between Trademark, Copyright and Patent with Example
- August 23, 2018
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- Difference between Trademark, Copyright and Patent with Example
Difference between Trademark, Copyright and Patent with Example
Intellectual property rights (IPR) are the rights conferred on creators for the creations of their minds. These rights can be granted for innovations, inventions, literary and artistic works, musical recordings, names, images, symbols, logos, to name a few. IPRs provide an exclusive right to authors or inventors over the use of their works for a certain time period.
The most popular types of intellectual property rights are trademark, copyright and patent. In this blog post, we will look at the main differences between them.
1. Trademark
Meaning
Trademark can be defined as any unique name, word, slogan, symbol, design that can be used to distinguish the source of one good from others in the market. The owner can enjoy the exclusive benefits of usage and distribution over his mark by getting the trademark registration in India.
Requirements
In order to get registered trademark the mark was chosen must be distinctive and not generic.
Validity
The trademark registration once obtained is valid as long as the mark is used in commerce. However, the period of 10 years renewal must be obtained.
Benefits
There are multiple benefits that come with trademark registration in India. One main benefit of trademark registration is that the owner gets the exclusive rights over his mark after that. Moreover, after trademark registration, you can put the ® symbol with your marks that improve the credibility of your business.
Examples
Some of the famous examples of trademark registration are the registered brand names like Apple, Maggie, Puma and the musical notation of the ICICI bank etc.
2. Copyright
Meaning
Copyright is the kind of IPR that protects the original works of authorship, such as books, articles, songs, photographs, sculptures, choreography, sound recordings, motion pictures, and creative works.
Requirements
In order to get the copyright the work used must be original and creative. Moreover, the work should be capable of being fixed in a tangible medium.
Validity
If the author is an individual then the validity of the trademark is Author’s life plus 70 years. However, when it is owned by the company then the life of a trademark is 95 years after the date the work is first made public.
Benefits
With copyright registration in India the owner get the exclusive rights to reproduce, make derivative of works, distribute and make public performance and display the copyrighted works. Further, the owner can place the © symbol on his work and can make a legal evidence and public notice of ownership. Moreover, he can sue any person who tries to use his work without the authorization.
Copyright examples
Like the famous writers like Chetan Bhagat, singer and composers like AR Rehman hold the copyright on their work and charges consideration for granting their rights.
3. Patent
Meaning
Patent is the unique IPR right that can be granted to the valuable inventions, such as novel processes, machines, manufactures, compositions etc.
Requirements
In order to be registered under the patent the invention must be new, useful and most importantly the non-obvious.
Validity
The patent is valid for the total period of 20 years.
Benefits
After getting the patent registration in India the inventor gets the exclusive right to prevent others from making, using, selling, or importing the protected invention.
Patent examples
Microsoft has successfully obtained the patent registration for its multiple software’s.
Conclusion
There is a clear distinction between the three types of IPR on the basis of the kind of work they protect. For instance, a trademark can be obtained for the logo of the business while the copyright is used to protect its creative and artistic aspects of the logo. Meanwhile, patents are designed to protect inventions and innovations to ensure exclusivity for the inventor. Understanding the differences between various IPRs allows creators and businesses to decide the appropriate form of protection for their intellectual property.
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