World 1 · IP Explorer · Lesson 01

What is intellectual property?

The rights the law gives to creations of the mind, and why each of them belongs to a territory.

4 min
Jurisdictions: International / treaty, Australia, Vietnam, United States
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026

Draft — awaiting editorial review

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

You will learn to

Name the main families of IP right.
Tell a right that arises automatically from one that must be registered.
Explain why IP rights are territorial.

Rights in creations of the mind

Intellectual property (IP) is the set of legal rights given to creations of the mind: works, inventions, designs, and the names and signs used in trade. The main families are copyright and related rights, trademarks, patents, industrial designs, trade secrets, geographical indications and plant varieties. IP protects how an idea is expressed or applied — a general idea on its own is usually not protected.

Automatic or registered

Some rights arise on their own. Under the Berne Convention, copyright in member countries does not depend on registration: a work is protected when it is created (some countries require it to be fixed in a material form). Other rights — patents, registered designs and registered trademarks — exist only when an office grants them, although some countries also protect unregistered marks, trade names or designs in limited ways. Copyright registration still exists in some countries as evidence, not as a condition of the right. In the United States, registration is still needed before suing over a US work and affects the remedies available; in Vietnam a registration certificate shifts the burden of proof but can be challenged.

Rights are territorial

IP rights exist under the law of each country or region. A trademark registered in Australia is not automatically protected in Vietnam. Treaties make protection in several countries easier, but each country still recognises the right. So the right question is always: "protected where, for what, and for how long?"

Try a scenario

Minh opens a café called "Bean Owl". He drew the logo himself, wrote his own cold-brew recipe and designed a cup with an unusual shape.

Which statement best describes where he stands today?

The logo may already carry copyright; the name and cup shape need registration for exclusive rights; the recipe can be kept as a trade secret.Because he registered the business, everything is protected.Nothing is protected until he registers each item.

Check your understanding

PracticePractice testSee the explanation after each question.

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

Question 1 of 4Lan writes down an idea for a pet-food delivery app and tells her friends about it.What does IP law usually protect here?

The idea of delivering pet food.The specific text Lan wrote.The app's name, as soon as she thinks of it.

Take away

For each asset, write down: which kind of right it is, whether it is automatic or registered, and in which countries you need 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

This lesson is general orientation. Requirements and terms differ between countries; check the rules where you operate or ask a qualified IP adviser.