It typically requires a patent attorney to define all the nuances between trade secrets, patents, and trademarks, however a few basics don't require a patent attorney for a generic understanding.

Copyright infringement and patent infringement are not quite the same thing, although they are based on the same principle, don't steal what isn't yours.

Patent infringement is considered the theft of an invention, idea, or enhancement that has been filed with the U.S. Patent Office, with a given time frame of acceptable overlap of one year.