Beyond Patents
We have focused mostly on patents in providing the additional information at this site. However, there are many other rights that may form part or all of your intellectual property portfolio (in addition to or in place of patents). For example, you may have trade secret rights in aspects of an invention. In general, trade secrets are valuable aspects of your invention that are not known by others. To perfect and maintain these rights, you must take steps to maintain these aspects of your invention as secret. When showing others these aspects is absolutely necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be required (an NDA may also be useful in protecting your right to file a patent application in similar circumstances).
The general idea behind patents it to protect the idea itself. In contrast, copyright protects the expression of an idea. Copyrights come into existence essentially when you embody the expression in some medium, such as when that expression is captured in writing. Copyright is generally the IP right of choice for works of art, video, sound recordings, and works of authorship.
There are many other forms of protection for intellectual property, each with a complex and extensive set of rules, laws, and court decisions. Therefore, the above merely touches on several aspects of other common IP rights, and we urge you to raise questions you may have about other forms of IP protection with your attorney.