Intellectual property refers to the set of exclusive rights granted over creations of the mind, allowing their authors or holders to control and exploit these creations under certain conditions. This legal category is crucial for the protection of cultural, scientific and technical innovations and creations. It encompasses several types of rights including copyright, related rights, patents, trademarks, designs and geographical indications.
Copyright protects literary and artistic works such as books, music, paintings and films. Related rights offer similar protection for performers’ performances, phonogram productions and broadcast transmissions. Patents protect technical inventions that provide a new solution to a technical problem. Trademarks protect distinctive signs that identify the products or services of a company. Designs cover the aesthetic appearance of a useful object, while geographical indications protect the names of specific products indicating their geographical origin and often a particular quality or know-how.
These rights allow their holders to manage the use of their creations and provide a legal means to prevent unauthorized use and to negotiate licenses or transfers. Intellectual property thus serves to protect the economic interests of creators and enrich the global cultural and technical heritage, further stimulating innovation and creation. Intellectual property regimes are generally administered at the national level but are also influenced by international agreements, such as the rules established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other international treaties.