As the U.S. Copyright Office explains, copyrights protect "original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture." Copyright protection exists at the time of creation of the artistic or literary work, but before enforcing the rights against an infringer, it is necessary register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") states, " a trademark protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A patent protects an invention. For example, if you invent a new kind of vacuum cleaner, you would apply for a patent to protect the invention itself." While there are certain rights in common law trademarks, greater protection is afforded by registering the mark with the USPTO. And with patents, the only protection arises when the USPTO issues a patent on an invention.
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