INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Published on 23 Feb 2025
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are legal protections for creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary works, and symbols, designed to incentivize innovation and creativity while balancing the interests of creators and the public.
Types of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)
Types of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) include various legal protections for creations such as inventions, literary works, trademarks, and designs, safeguarding the rights of creators and innovators.
Patents: A patent grants an exclusive right to an invention, a product or a process, providing legal protection for a limited period (typically 20 years).
Example: The patent on CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology.
Trademarks: A trademark is a distinctive sign, word, symbol, or combination thereof, used to identify goods or services and distinguish them from others.
Example: The Nike Swoosh logo, Coca-Cola's script logo.
Copyrights: Copyright protects the rights of creators over their literary, artistic, and musical works, ensuring they have control over the use and distribution of their creations.
Example: The novel "Harry Potter" series, paintings by Vincent van Gogh.
Geographical Indications (GIs): A Geographical Indication is a sign used on products with a specific geographical origin, possessing qualities or a reputation attributable to that location.
Example: Darjeeling Tea, Basmati Rice.
Industrial Designs: Industrial designs protect the ornamental or aesthetic aspects of a product, including three-dimensional features like shape or two-dimensional patterns, lines, or colour.
Example: The design of the Coca-Cola bottle, Apple's iPhone design.
Trade Secrets: Trade secrets refer to confidential business information that provides a competitive advantage and is protected against unauthorized use.
Example: The recipe for Coca-Cola, Google's search algorithm.
Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Layout Designs: Protects the three-dimensional layout design of electronic circuits on semiconductor chips, recognizing the innovative design and investment behind such creations.
Example: Circuit layouts used in smartphones and computers.
Plant Varieties Protection: Provides rights to the developers of new plant varieties and recognises the contributions of farmers in conserving and improving plant varieties.
Example: Protecting a new variety of wheat or rice developed through selective breeding.
Protection of Biological Diversity: Protects traditional knowledge and associated rights related to the use of biological resources, recognizing the value of indigenous knowledge.
Example: Traditional medicinal practices and herbal formulations used by indigenous communities.
Compulsory Licensing: Allows a government to authorize the use of a patented invention without the consent of the patent holder, usually for public health or safety reasons.
Example: Compulsory licensing of a patented drug to make it affordable in developing countries.