Intellectual Property Law 101: What’s the Difference Between Trademarks and Copyrights?

June 29, 2018
Lexero LLC

For today’s modern businesses, protecting the business’s intellectual property is almost as important as protecting its physical, tangible property (and in some cases, even more so). In order to ensure your IP is legally protected, you need to use and employ the right tools and strategies. In many cases, this means filing for either a trademark or a copyright and then continuing to protect your rights even after you obtain the rights. Understanding the differences between these two options, and which one is right in which situation, is essential.

Trademark vs. Copyright

Both of these legal options will help to protect your business’s intellectual property, but each one is made for different types of IP. Trademarks are used to protect specific words, symbols, names, sounds, colors, and other distinguishing items that a business attaches to the goods or services they offer. Examples of things that a business should typically trademark are the business’s name, their slogan, their logo, their jingle, and other similar items.

Copyrights, on the other hand, are used to protect any original works the company created. This would include things like books, reports, videos, music, and more. Reports, including many types of research reports, should be copyrighted in order to ensure other companies don’t attempt to use the same information.

Protecting Your Intellectual Property

In order to keep your business’s intellectual property safe, it is necessary to properly register for any needed trademarks or copyrights . In addition, should another company infringe on your protected rights, you will need to take immediate action in order to minimize any potential damage that could occur.

While most business owners don’t have a lot of experience working with trademarks, copyrights, and other IP matters, it shouldn’t be difficult to get the protections you need with the help of an experienced and dedicated IP lawyer . As soon as you have some type of intellectual property that needs to be protected, we can help you get the application process started for either the trademark or the copyright. Trademark applications through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and copyrights go through the U.S. Copyright Office .

Having an experienced attorney at your side through the process will be the difference in getting these applications through as efficiently and accurately as possible and maintaining your rights over your IP. This blog barely scratched the surface of all that needs to be done with safeguarding what’s rightfully yours.

Contact Us!

Whether you are just starting your business and you need to begin the process of applying for copyrights and trademarks, or you have an existing business where your intellectual property is under threat, we are here to help. Contact us to set up a consultation and learn how we can help you right away.

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Lexero LLC

Lexero is a unique law firm with the sole goal of providing clients with the highest quality advice, service and value. Located in the heart of the legal capital of the world, Washington, DC, Lexero boasts an attorney roster with appellate and trial success who have been quoted or featured in some of the world’s most prominent media outlets. You can also read about some of the firm’s recent client successes.

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