invention

What is in the public domain?

Anything that is not protected by copyright is in the public domain. This includes: Unprotectable subject matter (facts, information, ideas, methods, processes, inventions, titles, names, slogans, short phrases, common geometric shapes, familiar symbols, unoriginal compilations systems (e.g., ordering things alphabetically), works created by U.S. government employees, natural objects formed or shaped by natural forces without […]

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What is the difference between a copyright and a patent or trade secret?

Copyrights protect expression. Patents protect inventions. Trade secrets protect commercially valuable ideas and information that are kept secret. A copyright may protect the expression of an idea, but it does not protect the idea itself. For that, recourse must be had, if at all, to patent, trade secret or unfair competition laws.

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