Notes on Copyright & Related Issues
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Forms of Protection for Intellectual Property
Copyright protects the
- words,
- images,
- sounds,
- etc.,
used to express an idea.
Copyright does not protect ideas or facts themselves.
Patent protects
- ideas expressed as an invention, and
- new uses for them,
as long as they are novel and non-obvious.
Trademark protects
- names,
- titles,
- short phrases.
Keeping your trademark requires particularly strong enforcement on your part.
Trade secrets protect
- an idea,
- written words,
- formula,
- process,
- procedure,
- technical design,
- list,
- marketing plan,
- etc.
or any other non-public information that offers its owner a competitive advantage.
Other forms of protection (e.g., contractual protection) will not be discussed here.
Back: Requirements to Claim Copyright
Next: Duration of Copyright
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Created: Feb 16 1996 ---
Last modified: Mon Feb 19 16:05:41 1996
Copyright © 1996 by
The Geometry Center.
All rights reserved.