Patents, Copyrights & Trademarks
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Patents, trademarks and copyrights are three types of intellectual property protection issued by the federal government through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). They are different and serve different purposes.
- A patent is a grant of property right by the federal government to the inventor of a new and useful idea.
- A trademark or service mark is a word, symbol, phrase or slogan, or combination of these items, which is used to mark and distinguish goods or services to indicate their source of origin.
- A copyright protects the writings of an author against copying. Literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works are included within the protection of the copyright law. A copyright protects the form of expression rather than the subject matter of the work.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) promotes industrial and technological progress in the United States by disseminating the information in the patents that it grants and the trademarks that it registers. A key part of the USPTO's information dissemination effort is though its website. The USPTO's website contains a wealth of information about patents and trademarks, USPTO products, services and operations, intellectual property procedures and events.
For further information, visit the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
To download forms to register trade names, trademarks or service marks in Hawaii, visit the State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division's website.