LordCrash As a content creator, I'm always on a mission to disambiguate trademark, copyright, and patent. (I say the below not to correct you but to give insight and talk about shit I find interesting. 😃 )
A trademark is, like the name suggests, a mark that is used to trade (in the marketplace). This is usually a logo or a phrase that says to the consumer, for example, this a genuine Nike shoe. It's there to protect the consumer. And if the owner of the trademark doesn't defend it legally (cease and desist letters, lawsuits, etc), they could lose it.
A copyright (ie, the right to copy) is a protection of someone's intellectual property, be it writing, music (sheet music or recordings), photographs, movies, etc. It's there to protect the creator. It exists the moment the creation is made, and lasts various lengths of time depending on local laws.
A patent is a certification from a central entity that someone is responsible for, and therefore owns, a new invention or substantial improvement to an existing invention. Patents are incredibly expensive and usually take a couple years to receive. They're usually used to either sell a product containing the invention, or to legally license the invention to someone else for a profit.
A patent would be the closest thing to what is being discussed here, but even if the tech isn't patented, it's still possible to rip someone off, legally.
Steve Jobs stole the idea for a "window"-based visual UI while on a tour of the IBM dev department, and while it was legal, it was generally considered a dick move.
