My South Dakota business may need both a trademark and a copyright - are these the same things?

 

No. Trademarks and copyrights are different types of intellectual property. A trademark protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work. For example, if you invent a new kind of refrigerator, you would apply to register a trademark to protect the brand name of the refrigerator. And you might register a copyright for the TV commercial that you use to market the refrigerator.