| A hallmark is a standardised assay mark. It is always punched into the metal (see my recent post linking to Goldsmith's Hall in London for further details)
American trademarks use the circled TM, (c for copyright etc) the rest of the world uses a different international legal convention which does not need these claim marks.
A trademark can appear anywhere on a product not just the packaging.(think f the nike swoosh)
Copyright means the right to permit, licence or sell permission to make copies.
Registered design means that the design itself has been registered by some central agency (very hard to prove a breach though so pretty much worthless)
Patent means that the novel or new design owner or registrant has been granted exclusive rights to licence etc that design for a set number of years (there are international disputes over the American drug companies and US govt's claim to be able to patent aspects of DNA (but see the world patent for the oncological mouse)
Tiffany is a brand trademark
The legal implications for breach of most intellectual property rights can be criminal sanctions or , more usually, damages. Most IP law is governed by one of the two international conventions or national legislation but there are common law breaches possible, such as the tort of passing off - such as if I started calling myself pearlparadisio. |