Final answer:
Trademarks do not protect ideas or tangible inventions; they safeguard brand identifiers and can be renewed indefinitely, unlike patents which generally last 20 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
Trademarks, unlike patents and copyrights, do not protect ideas or protect tangible inventions. Instead, trademarks protect symbols, names, slogans, and other identifiers that distinguish goods and services provided by a business. Copyrights pertain to artistic and literary works, whilst patents cover new inventions and novel technologies.
Trademarks do expire after a fixed term, typically 10 years, but can be renewed indefinitely as long as they continue to be used in commerce. This contrasts with patents, which typically last for 20 years from the filing date and are not renewable, and copyrights, which last for the life of the author plus a set number of years afterwards.