What is intellectual property?

Intellectual property law is the cornerstone of patent work so getting your head round it will help you impress when applying for patent agent and examiner jobs.

Intellectual property (IP) is the ownership of products of the mind such as inventions and creations. IP law allows people to own these products in the same way that you can own physical property such as a house or a car. The legal rights associated with the main areas of IP are:

  • Patent: a right granted by the government for an inventor (or a company) to control the use of an invention.
  • Trade mark: a symbol (words or design) that is applied to products to show their originating trader. IP laws prevent traders from passing off their own products as another company’s by stealing the brand identity.
  • Design: a distinctive shape or decorative appearance of a new product. Basic design rights are automatic, while registered designs have extended rights.
  • Copyright: unofficial registration of aesthetic and artistic creations, providing control over the use of this work.

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