WTO and Intellectual Property Rights Introduction Intellectual property (IP ) IP is the work of the intellect or the mind to create products that have commercial uses—products like drugs, literature, paintings and so on. It is protected in the same way as physical property with property rights based on trademarks, patents and so on. Holders of the patents and so on are entitled to the commercial proceeds exclusively for a specified time period. Types of Intellectual Property Rights • A patent is granted for a new, useful, and non-obvious invention, and it gives the patent holder an exclusive right to commercially exploit the invention for a certain period of time. • Copyright is given for creative and artistic works, such as books, movies, music, paintings, photographs, and software, and give the copyright holder an exclusive right to control reproduction or ...