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Intellectual property (IP) is the outcome of thought or intellectual effort. Intellectual property rights are a series of legal rights that give protection for different types of invention, design, brand name or original creation. The legal rights, which include patents, trade marks and copyright, give the creator the right to prevent the unauthorised use of their materials or creation for the specified period of protection. These rights exist to reward creativity and encourage inventors to share their innovations. Unauthorised use can be a criminal offence, equivalent to theft.