Law Protection for Internet Articles/Product Ideas?

Question

Hi all,
i would like to ask if there is any law or 'protection' for pictures like engineering blueprints, ideas or even concept from being copied by people who have seen them online.

i have considered patents but they are too expensive, usually in the thousands. thank you for ur time ^^

EK

Answer 1

There are three primary forms of protection:
1. Copyright
2. Trademark
3. Patent

Your articles are undoubtedly protected by copyright. Products can be protected by trademarks, patents or both.
Ideas can not be protected, except to the extent that certain business processes can be patented.

Answer 2

If you make any creative work -- artwork, story, software, etc., -- that can be protected by copyright. However, the copyright only protects your particular expression of that idea -- it doesn't protect against someone else using the same idea to create their own drawings or software. It only protects against someone copying your work.

Protecting an idea -- invention or process -- requires a patent. Patents protect against someone else doing the same thing the same way, even if the other person came up with the idea independently of you.