The main IP rights in relation to Tech (principally software and
data) are copyright, database right, confidentiality and trade
secrets. Patents and rights to inventions also apply to software
and business processes that manipulate and process data, although
generally not in relation to data itself. Trademarks can apply to
software, data and other Tech products.
Copyright
Copyright does what it says on the tin: protects from copying
the form or expression of information but not the underlying
information itself. It applies to software, certain databases, text
(as literary works), music, images, films, videos and broadcasts.
It arises automatically by operation of law in the EU (so does not
require to be registered). It is a formal remedy that and stops
unauthorised copying (and the unauthorised carrying out of other
acts protected by copyright, best seen as a 'bundle of
rights' in this respect).
