Patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets are the four categories of intellectual property. A patent is acquired to protect the basic functions, processes, and designs employed in an invention. Copyrights protect artworks and original works. The trademark is used to protect businesses and brands like logos and slogans. Last of all, trade secrets are intellectual property protection for information and ideas about an invention. Unlike the other three, trade secrets are unknown to the public indefinitely.