Intellectual property laws are in place to protect certain things within a business from theft or being copied. Nearly 25% of the total amount of internet traffic is used to consume content that is infringed, and upwards of one-third of all software products and music CDs consumers use are thought to be fake and not original. Intellectual property laws help protect creators.
Trade Secrets
Certain laws concerning trade secrets protect business information that is considered sensitive. Things such as marketing plans that contain confidential information are protected by trade secrets. Trade secrets vary in the extent to which they cover. Things such as how secret the information is and whether it is known by other competitors plays into how extensive trade secret laws are.
Trademark
A trademark covers logos, slogans, brand names and other things that distinguish a specific product. There are different degrees of a trademark. Numerous variables that play into a trademark include consumer awareness, what type of product it identifies and that area which it is going to be used in.
Copyright
Copyright laws help determine how to properly compensate creators for use of their work. Original works such as photos, movies, pieces written, music, paintings, etc are protected by copyright laws. There are certain requirements which must be met in order to qualify for a copyright. Different variables determine the length of the copyright protection, including when the work was created or published.
Right of Publicity
State laws known as right of publicity protect a person’s name and image. This keeps companies from using your image without your permission. Each different state determines the extent of this law.
Patents
Patents protect something someone invented from being sold, made or used by anyone else for a specific period. The U.S. has three different types of patents. Utility patents protect invention such as machines, technology and chemicals, or those that have a specific function. Design patents are in place to protect the way an object that is manufactured appears. Plant patents protect different plant varieties such as hybrids.
Knowing ways to protect intellectual property is important when it comes to intellectual property protection. Without proper protection intellectual property can be stolen and there is not much if anything that can be done about it. Properly knowing the facts about copyright laws helps you make informed decisions when it comes to protecting intellectual property.
