Intellectual Property (IP) refers to "creations of the mind; such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, and symbols, names, and images used in commerce." It is protected by law by copyright, patents, trademarks and trade secrets, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create. (From the World Intellectual Property Organization)
Intellectual property concepts are not only vital for business owners and employees to be aware of, it's also a key component in company research!
Kenton, W. (2024, June 7). What is intellectual property and what are some types? Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/intellectualproperty.asp
Researching intellectual property-related topics - such as patents and copyright laws - can be tricky! REMEMBER: you can always reach out to Kelly for help!
A note of thanks: Content on the section of this guide - including the Copyright, Trademarks, Patents, and Trade Secrets pages - has been borrowed and adapted from Northern Arizona University's Cline Library's "Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC)" guide.
If you aren't sure what type of IP you have - or need - use the IP identifier to learn more! It will guide you through six questions to determine what you need, followed by a more in-depth questionnaire once you determine the type.
| Trademark | Patent | Copyright | |
| What's legally protected? | A word, phrase, design, or combination that identifies your goods or services, distinguishes them from the goods or services of others, and indicates the source of your goods or services. | Technical inventions, such as chemical compositions like pharmaceutical drugs, mechanical processes like complex machinery, or machine designs that are new, unique, and usable in some type of industry. | Artistic, literary, or intellectually created works, such as novels, music, movies, software codes, photographs, and paintings that are original and exist in a tangible medium, such as paper, canvas, film, or digital format. |
| What's an example? | Coca-Cola® for soft drinks | A new type of hybrid engine | Song lyrics from "Let it Go" from Frozen |
| What are the benefits of federal protection? | Protects the trademark from being registered by others without permission and helps you prevent others from using a trademark that is similar to yours with related goods or services. | Safeguards inventions and processes from other parties copying, making, using, or selling the invention without the inventor's consent. | Protects your exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and perform or display the created work, and prevents other people from copying or exploiting the creation without copyright holder's permission. |
Table from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
