Copyright v Trademark – What you need to know

A copyright is a collection of individual rights that you automatically have once you create an original work that is fixed in a tangible medium like a photograph, a book, or an mp3 file. These rights include the right to reproduce the work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute copies, to perform the work publicly, and to display the work publicly.

As the copyright owner, you can transfer an rights to one or more people through licensing, assigning, and other forms of transfers. A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.

A service mark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods. Examples include brand names, slogans, and logos. The main difference between copyright and trademark is that copyright protects original expressions in works whereas trademark protects the business reputation and goodwill associated with the word, phrase, symbol, and/or design.

Registration benefits:
-infringement action
-validity
-nationwide protection
-statutory damages and attorney fees