Trademark vs. Copyright vs. Patent: What's the Difference?

Trademarks, copyrights, and patents protect fundamentally different things. Confusion between them is extremely common — here's a clear breakdown.

**Trademarks** protect brand identifiers: names, logos, slogans. They tell consumers who made a product or provided a service. Trademarks can last forever if you continue using the mark and file maintenance documents.

**Copyrights** protect original creative works: books, music, art, software code. Copyright arises automatically when a work is created and lasts for the creator's lifetime plus 70 years. Registration is optional but recommended.

**Patents** protect inventions: products, processes, designs. They grant exclusive rights for a limited period (usually 20 years) in exchange for public disclosure of how the invention works.

Most businesses need all three at some point. A software company might trademark its name, copyright its code, and patent its algorithm.