A patent, utility model, design protection, and trademark are industrial property rights that an inventor can use to gain a competitive advantage. Industrial property rights refer to exclusive rights to protect inventions, marks used to identify goods and services, and the appearance of goods within the geographical area where protection is sought. The most effective protection is achieved by flexibly using different forms of protection together. An invention can be protected by a patent and/or a utility model. Design protection protects the appearance of the product or part of it, and the trademark protects the product or service.
Industrial property protection options include
The results of one’s own work can also be protected by copyright. Copyright protects intellectual creation, such as literary or artistic works. Copyright gives the author of the work the exclusive right to determine the use of his work.