Certain forms of intellectual property protection are geared towards different embodiments of your creative works or ideas, but there may also be an element of choice involved. For example, you can choose to patent an invention, but you could also choose instead to keep it a trade secret. The USPTO page 'Trademark, patent or copyright' might be a good place to start reading about the different types of intellectual property, or they also have an IP Identifier tool that could help.
Very generally speaking inventions are often best suited to patent or trade secret protections. Trademarks often protect business names, logos, or other elements of their branding. Copyright is often thought of in the context of artistic works such as literature, visual arts, music, etc.
If you'd like further guidance and resources, please reach out to the PTRC Representatives. We can be contacted by email at lib-ptrc@osu.edu.
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