What is the difference between a patent and a trademark, and what types of inventions are eligible for patent protection?

A patent and a trademark are both types of intellectual property protections, but they serve different purposes and protect different types of creations. A patent is a legal protection granted to inventors for their new, useful, and non-obvious inventions, while a trademark is a legal protection for brand names, logos, and other identifying marks. In terms of eligibility for patent protection, an invention must meet three criteria: novelty, usefulness, and non-obviousness. Novelty means that the invention is new and has not been publicly disclosed or made available for sale prior to the application for the patent. Usefulness means that the invention has a practical application and can be ....