This depends upon the kind of intellectual property at issue. A product, and the way that it works, may be protected with a patent. Products that have a distinctive look may be covered by a design patent.
Trademarks are used to protect the name of a product as well as logos and slogans that are used to advertise or sell the product.
It's also possible to obtain copyright protection for everything from the text on the website where the product is sold to the verbiage that is used in the instruction manual.