Perfect Diapason

Patents, trademarks and copyrights originate from the same fundamental idea and legal necessity. These are forms of intellectual property that secure the interest of inventors and creators. However, there are a lot of important differences between the three.

The fundamental difference is that the patents protect rights over a tangible or conceptual invention, whereas the copyrights protect documents or images brought into existence by the author. On the other hand, trademark does not always have to be innovative, as it can include any word or symbol that can identify an item or brand.

Secondly, patents are the most effective forms of IPR, especially because they are guided by strict liability principles. This is to say that even if the offender has no deliberate intention of infringement, he will be held responsible for the same. Therefore, patents provide higher safety than copyrights and trademarks that permit certain exceptions like fair use etc.

The usual span for the validity of a patent is 20 years, after which the rights of the patent owner cease to exist forever and the invention can be used by anyone. However, copyrights are normally valid for a longer period, for about 60-70 years from development and trademarks are valid for even longer periods. Further, patents can safeguard your intellectual property interests in a very comprehensive manner. Patents protect not only the final creation like copyrights do but they also protect the principles and mechanisms applied in a specific invention.

Finally, since there are different levels of protection provided for by these three IPR types, the procedure for applying for them is also quite different from each other. For example, the application for a patent needs detailed explanation of the invention, which is not needed in case of copyrights or trademarks. However, a copyright usually requires a replica of the original creation, while a trademark requires a thorough search for existing marks in the market that could lead to confusion.

Discover more about Trademark Registration Singapore and discover how does an Intellectual Property protection increase the net worth of your business very fast.