Introduction

Intellectual property, persons, and groups around the world are able to classify and protect their works. They also use these tools to obtain economic gains through them in a legal and controlled manner.

In the same way, the future economic benefits originated with said creation and its commercial exploitation are regulated. The forms of creation susceptible to intellectual property can be expressed through a large number of different supports. In that sense, they can be of tangible and intangible characteristics.

Alternatively, this concept does not only encompass creations currently made public or open to the market, since it is common that we are also talking about new creations in the future or about to lead to economic exploitation.

Main Features of Intellectual Property

The existence of intellectual property laws entails a series of advantages for creators and authors:

  • International legislation in this field has undergone a process of convergence. This means that intellectual property laws have improved and become equal in most countries.
  • Creation in recent years of intellectual property systems thanks to the multiplication of analog and digital platforms.
  • Greater ease of access for everyone when it comes to sharing their creations, especially thanks to the role of new technologies.
  • Although traditionally the management of intellectual property rights corresponds to public bodies, it is increasingly common for private sector participants to assume this task.

Sectors in Which Concept of Intellectual Property Stands Out

In the following fields it is common for the regulation of intellectual property rights to be present:

  • Scientific, technological and innovation field.
  • Cultural, literary and artistic sectors.
  • Multimedia environment (video games, Internet, media…).
  • Domain and registration of trade names and trademarks through patents .

Main Defense Mechanisms of Intellectual Property

There are multiple tools in the economic and legal field aimed at protecting creators and their rights as authors of works of all kinds.

As indicated above, the rapid return of channels and platforms has meant that the content shared around the world has multiplied. For this reason, it is necessary that at the same time they have to improve and increase the defense mechanisms of intellectual property.

There is the cited case of patents, trademarks , trade names and other mechanisms of industrial property. On the other hand, we would find copyright, highlighted in the case of phonographic and graphic creations.

Its primary objective is to guarantee the non-replication, use or disregard of these creations and, especially, the defense of the economic returns that they may produce through their commercial exploitation.

Types of Intellectual Property

Patents

A patent is a proprietary right for an investor, usually granted by a governmental agency such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent gives the inventor the exclusive rights to the invention, which can be a design, a process, an improvement, or a physical invention such as a machine. Technology and software companies often have patents on their designs. For example, the 1980 PC patent was filed by Steve Jobs and three other colleagues from Apple Inc.

Copyright

Copyright

 

Copyright gives authors and creators of original material the exclusive right to use, copy or reproduce their material.

A trademark is solely attribute to a company, which means that the company owns the trademark, so no one can use or copy it. A brand is often associate with a corporate brand. For example, the “Coca Cola” logo and trademark are own by The Coca-Cola Company (KO).

Franchise

A franchise is a license obtained by a company, individual or party, call a franchisee, allowing them to use the name, trademark, proprietary knowledge and processes of a company, the franchisor.

Conclusion

Intellectual property is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets.