吃瓜爆料

Intellectual property is intangible personal property that can be characterized as invention, discovery, know-how, technological development, computer software, or even trade secret. It is protected by copyrights, trademarks and patents and is an asset to its owner. If protected adequately, intellectual property can be managed to benefit the owners and inventors as well as the public interest.

A patent is a grant of the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention and includes a right to license that invention to others to make, use, or sell it. Patent protection lasts for twenty years from the earliest filing.

Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of 鈥渙riginal works of authorship,鈥� including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

A trademark is a mechanism that allows for the protection of signs, logos, phrases, expressions and designs that represent products or services.  A trademark can include a device, brand, label, name, signature, word, letter, numerical, shape of goods, packaging, color or combination of colors, smell, sound, movement or any combination thereof which is capable of distinguishing goods and services of one business from those of others. Trademarks need to be maintained through lawful use otherwise they expire.

A trade secret can include a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process that gives an opportunity of a company to obtain an economic advantage over competitors who do not know or use it.  Trade secrets are only protected by the information remaining a secret.