Explain about Intellectual property rights and its types.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time.
Types of IPR
Patents
Patents grant inventors exclusive rights to their inventions for a limited period, typically 20 years from the filing date. They protect new inventions, processes, methods, or improvements that are novel, useful, and non-obvious. Patents enable inventors to prevent others from making, using, selling, or importing their patented invention without permission.
Example: The invention of the light bulb by Thomas Edison was patented in 1880, granting him exclusive rights to the technology for a specified period.
Copyrights
Copyrights grant creators exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or adapt their works for a limited duration, typically the creator's lifetime plus 70 years. Copyrights protect original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression. Copyrights cover various forms of creative expression, including books, paintings, sculptures, films, music, and software.
Example: J.K. Rowling holds the copyright to the "Harry Potter" series, giving her exclusive control over the publication, distribution, and adaptation of the books and related works.
Trademarks
Trademarks protect distinctive signs, symbols, logos, or words used to identify and distinguish goods or services of one party from those of others. They provide exclusive rights to use the trademark in commerce and prevent others from using similar marks that may cause confusion among consumers. Trademarks can include brand names, slogans, product packaging, and even sounds or colors associated with a particular brand.
Example: The Nike "swoosh" symbol is a registered trademark that distinguishes Nike's products from those of its competitors in the athletic apparel industry.
Trade Secrets
Trade secrets are confidential and proprietary information that provides a competitive advantage to a business. They can include formulas, processes, methods, designs, or customer lists that are not generally known or readily ascertainable by others.
Example: The recipe for Coca-Cola is a well-guarded trade secret, known only to a select few individuals within the company, giving Coca-Cola a competitive edge in the soft drink market.
Geographical Indications (GI)
Geographical indications identify products originating from a specific geographical location and possessing qualities, reputation, or characteristics attributable to that location. They protect traditional products, such as food, wine, or handicrafts, by preventing unauthorized use of the geographical indication by producers outside the region.
Examples: Tirupathi laddu, Mysore silk, and Darjeeling tea.
Industrial Designs
Industrial designs protect the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of articles, such as shapes, patterns, or colors applied to products. They protect the visual appearance of manufactured goods and prevent unauthorized copying or imitation of the design. Industrial designs are relevant to a wide range of products, including furniture, vehicles, appliances, and consumer electronics.
Example: The design of the iPhone, including its distinctive shape, appearance, and user interface, is protected by industrial design rights, preventing others from copying its unique design features.
Plant Varieties
Plant variety protection (PVP) grants exclusive rights to breeders over new varieties of plants that are distinct, uniform, and stable. PVP encourages investment in plant breeding by allowing breeders to control the propagation, sale, and distribution of their new plant varieties. Examples of protected plant varieties include new cultivars of crops, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
Example: Rainbow Rose: The Rainbow Rose is a patented variety of rose that has been genetically modified to display multiple colors on a single flower. It was developed by a Dutch flower company and is protected by plant variety rights.
Integrated Circuits
Integrated circuit (IC) layout designs protect the three-dimensional configurations of semiconductor products, including computer chips and microprocessors. They provide exclusive rights to the creators of IC layout designs and prevent unauthorized copying or reproduction of the layout.
Example: Intel Core i7 Processor - The layout design of the Intel Core i7 processor, a flagship product of Intel Corporation, is protected under intellectual property laws.