Copyrights protect the author, generally allowing him/her to control the copying of his/her work. This work includes literary, musical and artistic efforts. 

A patent is a grant of a property right by the United States Government to an inventor or his/her heirs or assigns.

A trademark is a symbol, icon, word or a combination of the three that represent a company, product and brand. There are two types of trademarks: federal and state.