Types of intellectual property protections
The main categories of IP protection.
5-mark Exam Answer
There are three main types of intellectual property protection: copyright, patent, and trademark law. According to Laudon and Traver, each protects a different kind of creation — expression, inventions, and brand identifiers — and grants a different duration of monopoly.
- 1.Copyright protects expression (life+70 years)
- 2.Patent protects inventions (20 years)
- 3.Trademark protects brands (10 years, renewable)
- 4.Each requires different registration
- 5.All challenged by the Internet
There are three main types of intellectual property protection: copyright, patent, and trademark law. In the United States, the development of intellectual property law begins with the U.S. Constitution, which mandated Congress to devise a system of laws to promote 'the progress of science and the useful arts.'
Copyright law protects original forms of expression such as writings, art, drawings, photographs, music, motion pictures, performances, and computer programs from being copied by others for a period of time. In 1998, Congress extended protection to life plus 70 years for individuals and 95 years for corporate-owned works (the Copyright Term Extension Act).
A patent grants the owner a 20-year exclusive monopoly on the ideas behind an invention. The congressional intent was to ensure inventors received the full rewards of their labor while making widespread use of the invention possible through licensing. There are four types of inventions for which patents are granted: machines, man-made products, compositions of matter, and processing methods.
Trademark law protects words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services. Federal trademarks are granted for 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely, as long as the mark remains in use. Trademarks protect both the public (ensuring they get what they pay for) and the owner (against piracy).
A novel is protected by copyright (life+70 years); Amazon's one-click purchasing by patent (20 years); and the Apple logo by trademark (renewable indefinitely) — three different protections for three different kinds of creations.
The three main types of IP protection — copyright, patent, and trademark — each protect a different kind of creation (expression, invention, brand) with different durations and registration requirements.
The exam interface follows the university paper pattern: Section A & B carry 5-mark questions; Section C carries objective questions.