Patent: Patents are mainly used to secure invention relating either to a product or process that is new which is capable of having industrial application. Software’s and business ideas cannot be patented in India.  The following are items NOT patentable in India as per Section 3 of the Patent Act, 1970: 

1. An invention which is frivolous or which claims anything obviously contrary to well established natural laws; 
2. An invention the primary or intended use or commercial exploitation of which could be contrary to public order or morality or which causes serious prejudice to human, animal or plant life or health or to the environment; 
3. The mere discovery of a scientific principle or the formulation of an abstract theory or discovery of any living thing or non-living substance occurring in nature; 
4. The mere discovery of a new form of a known substance which does not result in the enhancement of the known efficacy of that substance or the mere discovery of any new property or new use for a known substance or of the mere use of a known process, machine or apparatus unless such known process results in a new product or employs at least one new reactant. 
5. A substance obtained by a mere admixture resulting only in the aggregation of the properties of the components thereof or a process for producing such substance; 
6. The mere arrangement or re-arrangement or duplication of known devices each functioning independently of one another in a known way; 
7. A method of agriculture or horticulture; 
8. Any process for the medicinal, surgical, curative, prophylactic diagnostic, therapeutic or other treatment of human beings or any process for a similar treatment of animals to render them free of disease or to increase their economic value or that of their products. 
9. Plants and animals in whole or any part thereof other than micro organisms but including seeds, varieties and species and essentially biological processes for production or propagation of plants and animals; 
10. A mathematical or business method or a computer programme per se or algorithms; 
11. A literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or any other aesthetic creation whatsoever including cinematographic works and television productions; 
12. A mere scheme or rule or method of performing mental act or method of playing game; 
13. A presentation of information; 
14. Topography of integrated circuits; 
15. An invention which in effect, is traditional knowledge or which is an aggregation or duplication of known properties of traditionally known component or components. 

Copyright: Copyright is mainly used to secure literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works including cinematograph films and sound recordings. A software or programme or tables and databases can be registered as a ‘literary work’ under the Copyright Act. However to obtain a copyright for the software, the source code for the software must be submitted to the Copyright Office along with the application. 

Trademark: Trademarks are mostly used by individuals, commercial and non-commercial entities to protect brand names, business names, slogans and more. An idea or concept or software cannot be trademarked. However, a unique name given to a software or idea or concept can be trademarked.