system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Patents vs. copyrights vs. trademarks vs. servicemarks

What's the difference between them, and why are all of them necessary as distinct concepts?  

I'm from the US, if there's any significant variation between countries.
gpt
Patents:  You invent something new that no one else has invented and in exchange for releasing the technical details about how the invention works to the public you get exclusive right granted to you by the state to disallow would be competitors from stealing your exact idea and selling it as their own invention.

Copyright:  Simply put it is "a right to control the copying" of various works; a way for an author/creator of books, music, photographs, architectural drawings, etc. to prevent the plagiarism of their works.  In most countries obtaining copyright status for any work is automatic and assumed, however while registration isn't needed to exercise copyright in all countries, in jurisdictions where the laws provide for registration, it serves as prima facie evidence of a valid copyright.  Any author/producer can release their works under a wide array of various copyright licenses, including so called "copy-left" licenses which allow people to copy said material without asking permission so long as they attribute credit to the original creator.

Trademark:  A name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, image, or a combination of these elements that identify a business or legal entity.  Infringement of trademark means that someone is taking the logo/symbol, etc. of another business and using it without permission.

Servicemarks:  Same as a trademark but for identifying services instead of products.