Legal Aspects of Engineering Innovation and Research

A design patent is a type of utility patent that protects the ornamental design of a functional item.

The term of a utility patent in the United States is 20 years from the date of filing.

The term of a design patent in the United States is 14 years from the date of grant.

The term of a copyright in the United States is the life of the author plus 70 years.

The term of a trademark in the United States is 10 years from the date of registration, but it can be renewed indefinitely.

The term of a trade secret in the United States is indefinite, as long as the secret is kept confidential.

The purpose of a patent is to protect the inventor's rights to their invention, to prevent others from making, using, or selling the invention, and to give the inventor a monopoly on the invention.

The purpose of a copyright is to protect the author's rights to their work, to prevent others from copying, distributing, or performing the work, and to give the author a monopoly on the work.

The purpose of a trademark is to protect the owner's rights to their mark, to prevent others from using the mark, and to give the owner a monopoly on the mark.

The purpose of a trade secret is to protect the owner's rights to their secret, to prevent others from discovering the secret, and to give the owner a monopoly on the secret.

The elements of a patent are novelty, utility, and non-obviousness.

The elements of a copyright are originality and fixation.

The elements of a trademark are distinctiveness and use in commerce.

The elements of a trade secret are secrecy and value.

The difference between a patent and a copyright is that a patent protects an invention, while a copyright protects a work of authorship; a patent is granted for a fixed term of years, while a copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years; and a patent can be renewed indefinitely, while a copyright cannot.