29/03/2024
1. **Patents**: Patents protect inventions and innovations. They grant the inventor the exclusive right to make, use, and sell their invention for a limited period, typically 20 years from the filing date of the patent application. Patents cover products, processes, methods, and compositions of matter that are novel, non-obvious, and useful.
2. **Trademarks**: Trademarks protect words, phrases, symbols, designs, or a combination thereof that distinguish the goods or services of one party from those of others. They help consumers identify and distinguish the source of goods or services. Trademark rights can last indefinitely as long as the mark is used in commerce and remains distinctive.
3. **Copyrights**: Copyrights protect original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression, such as literary, artistic, musical, or dramatic works, as well as computer software and architectural designs. Copyright gives the creator the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or license their work. Copyright protection generally lasts for the author's lifetime plus an additional 70 years.
4. **Trade Secrets**: Trade secrets protect confidential and proprietary information that provides a competitive advantage to a business. This could include formulas, algorithms, processes, customer lists, and other confidential information that is not generally known or readily ascertainable by others. Unlike patents, trademarks, and copyrights, trade secrets have no fixed duration of protection; they remain protected as long as they are kept secret.