World 1 · IP Explorer · Lesson 02

Trademark vs copyright vs patent vs design

Four rights that are often confused: each protects something different, in a different way.

5 min
Jurisdictions: International / treaty, Australia, Vietnam
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026

Draft — awaiting editorial review

Educational content, not legal advice. Lessons are drafts awaiting editorial review.

You will learn to

Identify what each right protects.
Recognise that one product can carry several rights at once.
Choose the relevant right for a concrete situation.

Trademark — a sign of origin

A trademark protects a sign that distinguishes your goods or services from someone else's: a name, logo, slogan, and sometimes a colour or sound. It is registered for specific classes of goods or services and can usually be renewed again and again.

Copyright — original expression

Copyright protects original works: writing, images, music, film, software. It protects expression, not ideas or facts. The term is long but varies by country and type of work — often the author's life plus several decades.

Patent and design — function and appearance

A patent protects a technical solution: how something works. It must be new, involve an inventive step and be industrially applicable, and it lasts for a limited term (commonly 20 years from filing for a standard patent). An industrial design protects a product's visual appearance: how it looks, not how it works.

Try a scenario

Ha designs a folding wooden chair with a new hinge that folds it one-handed, and names the range "Gon".

Which rights should Ha be thinking about?

Only copyright, because she designed it herself.A patent for the hinge, a design for the chair's appearance, a trademark for the name "Gon".Only a trademark, because that is what customers see.

Check your understanding

PracticePractice testSee the explanation after each question.

Pass mark: 80% — for this lesson that means every question.

Question 1 of 4A competitor sells an app with a completely different interface but a name very close to yours.Which right is most relevant?

Trademark.Copyright.Patent.

Take away

List each component of your product (name, artwork, mechanism, shape, know-how) and match each one to the right that may cover it.

Apply it to your IP

Nothing runs or is saved on its own. Each option only opens a tool when you choose it.

What this lesson cannot tell you

Terms and specific requirements vary by country. This lesson does not decide whether any particular product qualifies for protection.