In this article, our copyright attorneys discuss the three general categories of intellectual property, that can be protected under U.S law: trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Trademarks protect a business' name, logo, or slogan from use by other businesses. Patents protect a discovery, invention, or idea. Copyrights protect original works of authorship such as writings, photos, music, movies, software, and architecture. Even though your copyright exists as soon as the work is created, we usually recommend registering your copyright with the U.S. Copyright office. You cannot file suit for copyright infringement until your copyright has been registered. In order to register your copyright, you must submit the proper application form along with a copy of the work to the U.S. Copyright office along with a fee for registration.
