FAQ g120005- USPTO
How do I find out if I need a patent, trademark or a copyright?
Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights are three types of
intellectual property protection. They are different and serve
different purposes. Patents protect inventions, and improvements
to existing inventions. Trademarks include any word, name,
symbol, or device, or any combination, used, or intended to be
used in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one
manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others,
and to indicate the source of the goods. Service marks include
any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used, or
intended to be used, in commerce, to identify and distinguish the
services of one provider from services provided by others, and to
indicate the source of the services. Copyrights protect literary,
artistic, and musical works. For general information,
publications and other copyright related topics, you may visit
their Web site at
http://www.copyright.gov
. Copyrights information can be obtained from the U.S. Copyright
Office, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20559 or you may call
202 707-3000 or 202 707-6737 (TTY).
(14AUG2003)
