Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/​her ...hometradetopicstripswhatareiprsTRIPS:WHATAREIPRSWhatareintellectualpropertyrights?Intellectualpropertyrightsaretherightsgiventopersonsoverthecreationsoftheirminds.Theyusuallygivethecreatoranexclusiverightovertheuseofhis/hercreationforacertainperiodoftime.Intellectualpropertyrightsarecustomarilydividedintotwomainareas: (i) Copyrightandrightsrelatedtocopyright.backtotopTherightsofauthorsofliteraryandartisticworks(suchasbooksandotherwritings,musicalcompositions,paintings,sculpture,computerprogramsandfilms)areprotectedbycopyright,foraminimumperiodof50 yearsafterthedeathoftheauthor.Alsoprotectedthroughcopyrightandrelated(sometimesreferredtoas“neighbouring”)rightsaretherightsofperformers(e.g. actors,singersandmusicians),producersofphonograms(soundrecordings)andbroadcastingorganizations.Themainsocialpurposeofprotectionofcopyrightandrelatedrightsistoencourageandrewardcreativework. (ii) Industrialproperty.backtotopIndustrialpropertycanusefullybedividedintotwomainareas:Oneareacanbecharacterizedastheprotectionofdistinctivesigns,inparticulartrademarks(whichdistinguishthegoodsorservicesofoneundertakingfromthoseofotherundertakings)andgeographicalindications(whichidentifyagoodasoriginatinginaplacewhereagivencharacteristicofthegoodisessentiallyattributabletoitsgeographicalorigin).Theprotectionofsuchdistinctivesignsaimstostimulateandensurefaircompetitionandtoprotectconsumers,byenablingthemtomakeinformedchoicesbetweenvariousgoodsandservices.Theprotectionmaylastindefinitely,providedthesigninquestioncontinuestobedistinctive.Othertypesofindustrialpropertyareprotectedprimarilytostimulateinnovation,designandthecreationoftechnology.Inthiscategoryfallinventions(protectedbypatents),industrialdesignsandtradesecrets.Thesocialpurposeistoprovideprotectionfortheresultsofinvestmentinthedevelopmentofnewtechnology,thusgivingthein