There is a quote that goes something like this. “Understanding is deeper than knowledge. There are many people who know about a topic, but very few who understand it.” So it is the case with intellectual property. I speak to creatives all of the time that know they have intellectual property issues, but do not understand at all how it works and how important it is. That’s okay. That’s what they make attorneys for! Then there are those who have heard the words associated with intellectual property but have no idea that they are in no way interchangeable. Here’s an example in food terms of what I hear. “I need help buttering my Skittles…Can you help me put some chocolate sauce on my mahi mahi?” Okay, that made no sense, right? So when someone says I need help getting a patent for my brand; can we copyright my patent; trademark my design; copyright my logo. You get the idea. So although, like the food, they are related, they don’t always go together, and are most definitely not interchangeable. I say this to you so that when you speak about your intellectual property issues, you can speak not only with some knowledge but also with a deeper understanding. Check out my quick little sheet that spells out some of the key difference between copyright and trademarks. So check it out.
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