Trademark, patent, and industrial design are not the same

Trademark, patent, and industrial design are not the same, and using them incorrectly can leave you unprotected where you need it most. 🏷️ Trademark: protects a distinctive sign (name, logo) that identifies your products or services from competitors. 💡 Patent: protects a technical invention, a new solution to a technical problem. If your product has a novel function, this is where it's protected. 🎨 Industrial design: protects the external appearance of a product – its shape, lines, colors – regardless of how it functions. The most common mistake I see: registering only the trademark when the true value lies in the product's shape (an industrial design) or in how it functions (a patent). You protect the name and leave the door open for others to copy what truly differentiates your product. Are you clear on which of the three protects what truly matters in your business?