Intellectual property, defined as “any product of the human intellect that the law protects from unauthorized use by others,” isn’t a modern concept. In fact, the United States Constitution, through the “Intellectual Property Clause,” protects the intellectual property rights of authors and inventors in the arts and sciences. It is from this clause that federal intellectual property law, including trademark, copyright, and patent protections, are derived. A unique product of human intellect can be the basis of a copyright, trademark, or patent.
Categories of Intellectual Property
As is clear from the definition of intellectual property (“IP”), the law doesn’t protect all products of human intellect. Instead, federal and/or state laws protect the following types of intellectual property: