Trademarks and patents are commonly mistaken. Therefore, it is important to differentiate them so you can know the type of service you need. Find out in this post the difference between trademarks and patents.
What are trademarks?
Trademarks are distinctive signs that allow you to differentiate your products and/or services in the market from others. The protection of trademarks will vary from country to country, as this is a territorial right. In most countries, the protection is granted through the registration of trademarks in the National Trademark Office.
Trademarks are granted for a certain period of time (normally 10 years) and can be renewed indefinitely for consecutive periods.
What are patents?
A patents is an exclusive right granted by a State to an inventor so that he can exploit the invention and exclude third parties from using it.
Patents are only valid for a certain period of time (normally 20 years) and normally cannot be renewed. Once the patent expires, it falls into the public domain.
As well as trademarks, patents are territorial industrial property rights, meaning that the protection is granted within a national or regional boundaries.
Which is the difference between trademarks and patents?
As mentioned above, trademarks are signs that allow us to differentiate products or services in the market. On the other hand, patents are a right granted by a state to the creator of an invention that complies with the requirements to obtain a patent title. In both cases, the law is territorial and you must seek protection in each country of interest.
What kind of lawyer works on trademarks and patents?
Industrial property lawyers (IP lawyers) normally work on trademarks and patents, as they are industrial property rights.
Conclusion
When we talk about trademarks and patents, we are mentioning two rights that are different from each other, which are even governed by different regulations. However, both of them are industrial property rights.
At Legal Core Group you can start protecting your industrial property rights today. Contact us to receive a quote.
