Which is Better, a Copyright or Trademark?

Both copyrights and trademarks are designed to protect intellectual property. While you shouldn’t consider one “better” than the other, you should know the difference between the two—what each was designed to protect.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office defines a trademark is a “word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.”

A trademark can include things like a brand’s proper name, a logo or a specific color scheme.

Conversely, the USPTO defines a copyright as intellectual property protection for “original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software and architecture.”

So, you shouldn’t think of a copyright as “better” than a trademark (or vice versa). They’re each designed to protect a different form of intellectual property.

For a more in-depth look on the subject, read this: What's the Difference Between a Trademark and a Copyright?