IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) is created by the exercise of intellectual and mental faculty and allows rewards to the creator when his work is used commercially.
IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) includes: -
Patents
Trade Marks
Service Marks
Copyrights
Designs
Geographical Indications
Trade Secrets
Patent
Patent is the monopoly or exclusive right of the inventor over his invented product or process.
Trade Mark / Service Mark
Trade Mark or Service Mark is the mark of authenticity adopted by the seller to distinguish his goods or services from those of another by indicating the source of origin.
Copyrights
Copyright is the right of the creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works including films and computer programmes for commercial exploitation thereof.
Designs
Designs mean the unique shape of a useful product, which should preferably be registered by the maker so that nobody else can apply the same to his article.
Geographical Indications
Geographical Indications identifies goods from a particular place with reputation of special quality, e.g. Darjeeling tea, Basmati rice of India.
Some observations
IPRs have to be renewed from time to time except for copyrights or Trade Secrets .All forms of IPRs have fixed tenure except Trade Marks, Geographical Indications and Trade Secrets. Trade Marks and Geographical Indications remain in force indefinitely if renewed at specified intervals. IPRs are transferable by assignment, gift, licence etc.
Reference links www.upsto.gov for US patents and trade marks www.epo.org for European patents www.patentoffice.nic.in for Indian patents and trade marks www.copyright.gov for US copyright www.education.nic.in for Indian copyright law
