Patents and Trademarks are two types of intellectual property (IP). They both help protect people who have created intellectual property from having their intellectual property used by others without permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But while patents and trademarks have some things in common, they’re actually quite different. Here is the main difference between patents and trademarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patents specifically protect technical inventions that have a use. Trademarks protect words, phrases, and symbols, or any combination of those things, that is used to distinguish someone’s goods or services from someone else’s. In short, patents protect products you invent, and trademarks protect your brand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there’s a little more to it than that. The process for getting a patent is different form the process for getting a trademark, and the protection they actually give you is pretty different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patents vs Trademarks, how are there different? A trademark protects a symbol, name, word(s), logo, or design that represent the brand or source of the good, whereas a patent protects an inventor’s invention or product itself.<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, lets take an American football. Here, the name “National Football League” (NFL) functions as a trademark. So does the NFL’s logo. But the football itself is something that could be patented for it’s special shape (at least when it was originally invented).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So simply put, trademarks protect brand names, logos, and designs used to refer to the seller or manufacturers of a good. The purpose is to prevent others in the same industry from using the same brand name, logo, or other design or one that is very similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patents give property rights to an inventor of a product, preventing others from using and selling the product. Companies often used both forms of intellectual property to protect their rights, just remember patents and trademarks are very different from one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typically, patents and trademarks do not overlap, but they can in some limited cases. For example, an inventor can use a design patent to protect how an invention looks and if the appearance of the invention is used by customers to identify the source of the product, an inventor can protect the product with both a trademark and a patent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A trademark consists of a word or group of words or a symbol that indicates a source of products or services. Trademarks are typically composed of a name, label, logo, slogan, colors, or combination of these to refer to a source of goods or services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trademarking your company’s logo or catchphrase is important because trademarks make it easier for people to immediately seek out and choose your brand, creating brand loyalty. Without trademark protection, someone could copy your exact logo or create a similar one and apply it to their own merchandise, leading to a loss of brand loyalty and leaving you without much means of recourse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, you do get some trademark protection, even if you don’t file for a trademark, just by commercially using a name, logo, design, etc. You just don’t get nearly as much protection. More on that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you apply for and receive trademark protection, you can prohibit others from using, producing, or profiting from it. Also, if someone tries to copy your mark or produce a similar one, you have legal rights to sue for damages and to prevent them from using it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some well-known trademark name examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trademarks do not offer any protection on the products that you manufacture. So, if a you have competitors, they can legally produce the same goods or services that you make unless you file for a patent and the USPTO <\/strong><\/a>(United States Patent and Trademark Office) grants your patent application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patents protect inventions by restricting others from making, selling, or using a product that’s similar to the one you’ve patented for as long as the patent is in effect. Once the patent term<\/strong> ends, your invention is no longer protected and falls into the public domain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are three types of patents <\/em><\/strong>that you can apply for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some examples of patents<\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following table lists the differences between trademarks and patents<\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparison<\/th> | Patent<\/th> | Trademark<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> |
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Meaning<\/strong><\/td> | A government issues this right to patent holders which allows them to exclude others from making, using, or selling their invention<\/td> | Trademarks are a symbol, words, or words that represent the source of a product or service<\/td><\/tr> |
Protection Offered<\/strong><\/td> | Protects inventions, processes, or designs<\/td> | Protects a brand’s goodwill and\/or reputation associated with the trademark<\/td><\/tr> |
Prevents<\/strong><\/td> | Prevent others from producing, using, or selling the patented product<\/td> | Prevents others from using the same or confusing similar word, logo, or symbol to a company’s registered trademark<\/td><\/tr> |
Registration<\/strong><\/td> | Must Register for Protection<\/td> | Discretionary Registration but registration offers superior protection<\/td><\/tr> |
Application<\/strong><\/td> | Inventions, designs, plants<\/td> | Marks or symbols on good representing the brand offering the goods for sale<\/td><\/tr> |
Term<\/strong><\/td> | 20 years from first filing of patent application<\/td> | As long as the mark is used as a trademark (If you register, must renew registration every 10 years)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n You may have noticed that registration for trademarks is discretionary. This means that you do get some trademark protection, even you don’t formally register your trademark. The protection is significantly limited when you don’t file, but just the fact that you use a name, logo, design, or slogan in your business (and there were not prior businesses in your industry and geography using them) you have some trademark protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patent vs Trademark Protection Term<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n |