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Properly maintained intellectual property is a very valuable part of any portfolio. It includes trademarks and copyrights. Trademarks and copyrights can be protected under federal and state law.
Trademarks are brand names and/or designs that are applied to products or used in connection with services. Companies like McDonalds® or Kimberly Clark (Kleenex® brand tissues) go to great lengths to protect their trademarks.
A trademark clearly identifies your product as unique. It might be a single word or combination of words, a symbol, a logo, a design, or even a color. because people make buying decisions based on a trademark, it can be an infinitely valuable business asset. Trademarks are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Copyrights protect creators of original works in the categories of literature, drama, music, and artistic expression. A copyright is meant to keep others from copying the work, distributing it, displaying it or performing it without permission. Copyrights are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, which is part of the Library of Congress. | 
