What is included under "intellectual property"?

Intellectual property encompasses the intangible creations of the mind, which include inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. This category is vital because it grants creators exclusive rights to their creations, allowing them to protect their innovations, designs, and artistic outcomes from unauthorized use by others. This form of protection encourages creativity and innovation by ensuring that creators can benefit financially and control the use of their work.

The notion of intellectual property specifically pertains to non-physical assets, in contrast to options that refer to tangible, physical assets or government-related resources, which do not fall under this definition. Business strategies and techniques, while potentially protectable under trade secret laws, do not specifically define the core concept of intellectual property as they are not inherently creations of the mind in the same way as patents or copyrights are. Thus, the focus on intangible creations is what makes this the correct answer.