The protection of intellectual property created by inventors is primarily provided by patents.
Here's a brief overview of the types of intellectual property mentioned:
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Patents: These are legal protections granted for new inventions, allowing the inventor exclusive rights to the invention for a specified period, typically 20 years. They cover processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter.
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Copyright: This protects original works of authorship, such as literature, music, and art, but not inventions or ideas themselves.
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Trademarks: These protect symbols, names, and slogans used to identify goods or services, not the inventions themselves.
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Geographical indications: These are used to identify a product as originating from a specific place with qualities or a reputation due to that origin, but they do not apply to most inventions.
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Registered designs: These protect the visual design of objects but are different from the functional aspects of an invention.
In summary, while several types of intellectual property exist, patents specifically protect the inventions created by inventors.
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