• Patent specific
• Registered Design specific
• Trade Mark specific
• About Withers & Rogers

General IP questions

• What is intellectual property (IP)?

• What are intellectual property rights (IPRs) and why are they important?

• What is the difference between a patent, registered design, trade mark, copyright?

• Where can IPRs be obtained?

• Which bodies are responsible for granting intellectual property protection?

• What is intellectual property (IP)?

  IP encompasses intangible assets that are the result of human creativity, for example inventions, new brands, designs or literary or artistic works.

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• What are intellectual property rights (IPRs) and why are they important?

  IPRs are protection given to intangible assets. They are important as they ensure that the creator or owner of a work reaps any commercial benefits gained from the exploitation of that work.

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• What is the difference between a patent, registered design, trade mark, copyright?

  They are all different types of IPR. A patent protects the function of a product, i.e. what it does, or steps of an industrial process, whereas a registered design protects the way a product looks. Trade marks provide protection for names or logos of products or services and copyright protects literary and artistic works.

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• Where can IPRs be obtained?

  All commercially significant countries have mechanisms for protecting IPRs. Each type of IPR is obtained in a different way, and can vary from country to country.

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• Which bodies are responsible for granting intellectual property protection?

  Most countries have a government agency which is responsible for granting protection. In the UK, the Intellectual Property Office (formerly known as the Patent Office) deals with IPRs.

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