IP is generally divided into two main categories:

• Copyright
• Industrial property

Among industrial property also other items can be added, especially trade secrets and know-how (both written and unwritten manufacturing, business and other experience). Different types of IP are patents, trade mark, copyright, design, and other protection.

Patent

It is legal protection of inventions guaranteeing a patent owner the exclusive right to the industrial application of the invention.

Trade Mark

It is a mark that helps companies to identify themselves, their products and services. Thanks to this, from customer perspective, the companies differ from other companies bringing the same or similar goods and services on the market.

Copyright

Copyright protects literary, artistic and scientific works, musical works, dramatic, photographic, art works, architecture, etc. As a work also a computer program and database is considered as the author's own intellectual work.

Design

Design is the appearance of a product or its parts, such as lines, contours, colors, shape, structure and material or product decoration.

Other Protection

• geographical indication/appellation of origin
• trade secret
• plant variety
• circuit layout rights