Patents:
A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of an invention. An invention is a solution to a specfic technological problem and is a product or a process. Patents are a form of intellectual property.
Copyright:
Copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to its use and distribution, usually for a limited time, with the intention of enabling the creataor (e.g. the photographer of a photograph or the auther of a book) to receive compensation for their intellectual effort. Copyright is a form of intellectual property, applicable to any expressed representation of a creative work.
Trademark:
A trademark, trade maork, or trade-mark is a recognizable sign, design or expenssion which identifies
products or services of a particular source from those of others. The trademark owner can be an individula, business organization, or any legal entity. A trademark may be locatde on a package, a label, a voucher or on the product itself.
Trade Secerets:
A trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, commercial methos, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable by others, and by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers.