The Oxford English Reference Dictionary defines “intellectual property” as “property that is the result of creativity and does not exist in tangible form, such as patents, copyright, trademarks etc”. The United States Department of State describes the term as meaning “creative ideas and expressions of the human mind that have commercial value and receive the legal protection of a property right. The major legal mechanisms for protecting intellectual property rights are copyrights, patents, and trademarks. Intellectual property rights enable owners to select who may access and use their property and to protect it from unauthorised use.”

In Ireland the primary intellectual property rights are patents, trade marks, designs and copyright.