Depending on the type and nature of your IP, you may need to use different strategies to protect it. For instance, patents are legal rights that grant you the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention for a limited period of time. To obtain a patent, you need to file an application with the relevant patent office and disclose the details of your invention. Trademarks are legal rights that grant you the exclusive right to use a name, logo, slogan, or symbol to identify your products and services and distinguish them from others. Copyrights are legal rights that grant you the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, display, or perform an original work of authorship. Trade secrets are legal rights that grant you the right to keep confidential and valuable information that gives you a competitive advantage. All of these methods can provide strong protection and deterrence against infringement; however, they can also be challenged and invalidated by others. To obtain a trademark or trade secret, you need to register it with the relevant trademark office or take reasonable measures to safeguard it from unauthorized access, respectively. Copyrights are automatically granted and last for the life of the author plus 70 years.