A copyright and a trademark protect different kinds of intellectual property. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a copyright covers original artistic, literary, or other creative works—such as books, music, movies, software code, photographs, and paintings—once they exist in a tangible medium (paper, canvas, film, or a digital file). It gives the owner exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform or display the work, and to stop others from copying it without permission.
A trademark protects a word, phrase, design, or combination that identifies your goods or services, distinguishes them from others, and indicates their source—brand names, slogans, and logos are common examples. Federal trademark registration helps stop others from registering or using a confusingly similar mark for related goods or services. In short: copyright protects creative expression; trademark protects brand identity in the marketplace.