Difference between Copyright, Patent and Trademark

Meaning and Definitions of Copyright, Patent, and Trademark -

Copyright (Meaning and Definition)- 

There are many definitions of copyright and they can vary greatly among lawyers, writers, society members, and artists themselves.        

    "Copyright is a form of protection provided to creators of original works of authorship. This includes both published and unpublished works. There are Copyright Laws, Copyright law covers various types of work including movies, paintings, Books, Music, photographs, songs, and any other types of written or oral expression."

    "Copyright is a legal concept that protects a work of authorship from unauthorized use. It grants the owner exclusive rights to reproduce the work, distribute copies to the public, perform the work publicly and prepare derivative works based on it."

Patent (Meaning and Definition) -

      A patent is an exclusive right granted by a government to use a specific invention. This can be given to companies, individuals, and even universities.  Patent law is the body of law that regulates the granting of patents and protects inventions from imitation.  In simple words, a patent is a grant of monopoly privilege to an inventor of an invention. 

      In the USA the patent must be filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in order to be enforced in patent infringement cases, though the term "patent" sometimes refers to other types of intellectual property.

Trademark (Meaning and Definition) - 

      Trademark is a business or product name that identifies its owner. Trademarks can be used to identify and distinguish products, services, processes, and other aspects of your company. In simple words, The trademark is one of the most important assets in a business. It can be used to give a product or service a distinctive identity, distinguishes it from other similar products or services, and makes it readily identifiable. The advantages of trademarks are that they protect your brand identity and give you a competitive edge by making clear to the world what you are selling.

Difference between Copyright, Patent, and Trademark - 

Copyright	Patent	Trademark
Copyright is a form of intellectual property (IP) law that grants the creator of an original work of authorship certain legal rights, such as to control whether, when and how their work is used; the duration for which it may be used; and some measure of fame attached to their name. Copyright does not protect ideas or facts, only original works of authorship. The process is also known as copyright registration	A patent is legal protection for an invention, process, or business method. A patent may protect the thing itself as well as the processes that utilize the thing. In Simple words “A patent is a grant of a monopoly which gives the inventor the right to exclude others from making, using and selling an invention for a specific period of time.”	A trademark is a sign or symbol used in connection with goods and services to distinguish the source of those goods or services. When you think of trademarks, for example, Logos. But there are other types as well that can be used to protect your business such as slogans, symbols, names, and designs.
It Serves Authors	It Serves inventors	It Serves Brands
Purpose of Copyright - Copyright is a law that protects the rights of authors to their original works of authorship. It also protects other creative artists from having their works used without permission or by misleading representations. In short, copyright is a way to tell others that your work is yours.	Purpose of Patent - The purpose of a patent is to protect an invention against those who are unable to or unwilling to follow the rules and utilize the invention according to their written plans.	Purpose of Trademark - Trademarks are a great way to promote and protect your brand or product. You can use it to distinguish your product from your competitors, give it a unique identity, and help people remember it better
Example - original works of authorship, such as books, articles, songs, photographs structures, choreography, sound, recording,  Motion, Pictures, and other works	Example - inventions such as processes machines manufacturer's compositions of matter as well as improvements to these	For example, Jaguar and Land Rover are two well-known trademark examples that became famous due to their quality and value.
Time Limit - 70 - 170 years	Time Limit - 15 - 20 Years	The time limit is indefinite

Conclusion - 

Copyright, trademark, and patent are types of intellectual property. Copyright, trademark, or patent can help you protect your original work.

See Also...

History of patent Law in India 

Kinds of Legal  Rights