Intellectual Property:
- Copyright © – (Exceptions: first sale, fair use).
- Books, Art, Music, Software.
- Automatically granted and lasts 70 years after creator’s death or 95 years after creation by/for corporations.
- Trademarks ™ and ® (Registered Trademark).
- Brand Names, Logos, Slogans – Must be registered, is valid for 10 years at a time, can be renewed indefinitely.
- Patents: Protects inventions for 20 years (normally) – Cryptography algorithms can be patented.
- Inventions must be:
- Novel (New idea no one has had before).
- Useful (It is actually possible to use and it is useful to someone).
- Nonobvious (Inventive work involved).
- Inventions must be:
- Trade Secrets.
- You tell no one about your formula, your secret sauce. If discovered anyone can use it; you are not protected.
Attacks on Intellectual Property:
- Copyright.
- Trademarks.
- Counterfeiting – Fake Rolexes, Prada, Nike, Apple products – Either using the real name or a very similar name.
- Patents.
- Trade Secrets.
- While a organization can do nothing if their Trade Secret is discovered, how it is done can be illegal.