A patent grants inventors exclusive rights to their inventions, conferred by the US Patent and Trademark Office, ensuring legal ownership and protection under federal law.

A trademark protects words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services from those manufactured or sold by others and indicate the source of the goods.

A copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of “original works of authorship” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.

Generally, a trade secret can include a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process that is used in one’s business.