What is intellectual property?

Intellectual property is an intangible (not touchable) form of property or right. The types of legally recognized intellectual property right include:

• Trade Secrets - Intra-firm information that has economic value, is not commonly known, and is subject to internal measures to protect the information from disclosure.
• Copyrights - An original, creative work of authorship that is affixed to a tangible medium (printed, recorded, etc.)
• Trademarks - A distinctive word, symbol, logo, or other mark that is used in commerce to represent a business, its products, or services.
• Patents - Discoveries, designs, or inventions constituting patentable subject matter that is novel, non-obvious, and useful.

Generally, intellectual property rights afford the owner or a holder the right to exclude others from selling, importing, or otherwise commercializing the subject property.

Note: The owner or holder of intellectual property may have the right to exclude others from infringing upon her rights but not have the right to use or possess a manifestation of its intellectual property.

Example: Dan designs a machine that can simultaneously fire hundreds of projectiles (bullets) per second. While he may be able to patent this creation and exclude others from developing and selling his invention, it may be illegal for him to actually possess this type of weapon.

Related Topics

• Intellectual Property Law (Intro)
• What is Intellectual Property?
• What is the purpose in granting intellectual property rights?
• What is required to capture or secure intellectual property rights?
• California Labor Code 2870
• What are Trade Secrets?
• Non-Disclosure Agreement
• Patents or patent rights?
• Letters Patent
• Primary types of patents?
• What Can I Patent?
• Requirements for a valid patent?
• Can your Invention be Patented?
• What is a Patentability Search?
• When is a Patentability Search Necessary?
• Why is a Patent Search Important?
• Requirements for a design patent?
• How to Do a Design Patent Search
• Cost of a Design Patent
• Requirements for a utility patent?
• Why Do You Need a Utility Patent?
• Plant Patent?
• Process for securing patent rights?
• Patent Search
• Basics of Doing a Patent Search
• 5 Rules for Effective Patent Searches
• What are Patent Databases?
• Tools for Patent Searches
• DIY Patent Search
• Understanding Patent Keyword Searches
• Patent Searches for Software
• Doing a European Patent Search
• WIPO Patent Search
• Cost of Doing a Patent Search
• Patent Search vs Patent Analysis
• Structure of a Patent
• Patent Filing Date
• Patent Attorney
• Do You Need a Patent Lawyer?
• Applying for Design patent
• Provisional Patent?
• Applying for Provisional Patent
• Doing a Provisional Patent Search
• How to Draw Up a Provisional Patent
• Converting a Provisional Patent to a Non-Provisional Patent
• What Does Patent Pending Mean?
• Process for enforcing ones patent rights?
• Patent Infringement
• Patent Troll
• What is a Trademark?
• Types of trademark?
• Requirements to capture trademark rights?
• Distinctiveness requirement for a Trademark?
• Determining whether a trademark is sufficient distinctive?
• What is Federal Trademark Registration?
• Conducting Trademark Search
• Should I Conduct a Trademark Search?
• Trademark Application
• Drawing a Trademark
• Filing for federal trademark registration?
• Protections of trademark rights under state law?
• Primary reasons for rejecting a trademark application?
• Common trademark designations?
• Trademark infringement?
• Enforce trademark rights?
• Demonstrate infringement of a trademark?
• What is a copyright?
  
• Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DMCA Explained
• Basics of Copyright Law
• What are the rights of a holder of a copyright?
• What are the elements of a copyright?
• How long is the period of copyright protection?
• What is the process for registering a copyright?
• Who may claim and secure copyright protection?
• What are infringement and the process for enforcing a copyright?
• What are the defenses available against a claim of copyright infringement?
• Public Domain Works
• Licensing Agreement
• End User License Agreement
• What is Fair Use of copyright?
• What is the First Sale Doctrine?
• What international protections exist for intellectual property rights?
• Paris Convention