Industrial property law is part of the broader body of law known as intellectual property. The term intellectual property encompasses the virtual creations of the human mind. Intellectual property rights protect the rights of creators by giving them intellectual property rights over their virtual creations.

Intellectual property is divided into two categories:

1. Industrial property, which is comprised of inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and
2. Copyright, examples of which are artistic and literary works such as poems, novels, plays, films, musical works, and artistic works such as paintings, drawings, photographs, architectural designs, and sculptures.

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