Intellectual Property
Intellectual property refers to the rights provided to the owner of an expressed idea; invention; authored piece of work; a process; or a name attached to a company or product. A copyright protects creative content such as books, software and art. The copyright controls the potential for reproduction of the works. A patent protects an invention and an innovative process. A patent provides exclusive use of the invention for a fixed period of time. This creates a monopoly for the invention. A trademark is a sign, name or symbol that distinguishes one company, or product, from another. It is designed to reduce customer confusion. Intellectual property is granted on a territorial basis, but harmonization is occurring via international treaties within the WTO for instance.
Maximizing Business Potential
