Correct Answers 2026 Updated.
Patent - Answer Gives the owner exclusive right to exclude others from making, using, selling,
offering for sale or importing the invention covered by the patent. This is the fundamental idea
of a patents.
What happens when a patent expires? - Answer Anyone is free to make, use, sell, etc the
invention described in the patent.
Life of a patent - Answer Starts when the patent is issued, stops 20 years after the application
was filed.
Trade Secret - Answer A piece of information that is not publicly available and that gives its
owner a competitive advantage in the business world.
What legal protections does a Trade Secret hold? - Answer As longs as the owner takes care
to protect the secret, courts can award damages, and prevent others from using the secret.
Is reverse engineering permitted? - Answer Yes, it is not illicit and is permitted.
How long is a Trade Secret protected? - Answer It is protected for as long as the trade secret
is kept a secret.
Trade Secret VS. Patent - Answer Trade secrets can be things that can't be patented. But can
also be things that can be patented. Patents expire, trade secrets do not. Patents are legally
upheld above Trade Secrets. Client list is a trade secret but could not be patented.
Copyrights - Answer Protects the specific manner in which ideas are expressed.
Trademark - Answer Protects the reputation of a person or business that provides goods or
services in the marketplace.
How does a trademark protect a consumer? - Answer Allows consumers to relate quality with
name.
Patent Types - Answer 1. Utility Patents
2. Design Patents
, 3. Plants Patents
What is a Utility Patent? - Answer Protects the functionality or hardware of an invention.
What is a Design Patent? - Answer Protects the way something looks.
What is a Plant Patent? - Answer Protects an asexually bred plant.
What can be patented? - Answer Anything under the sun that is made or done by mankind.
What cannot be patented? - Answer 1. Laws of Nature
2. Natural Phenomena
3. Abstract Ideas
What are the three Legal Requirements to Patent? - Answer 1. Useful
2. New
3. Unobvious
What is "prior art"? - Answer The universe of publications and public knowledge that exists
before an alleged invention is made.
What is an NDA - Answer The non-disclosure agreement allows the inventor or the trade
secret owner to disclose the invention or trade secret for legitimate purposes without adverse
legal consequences.
What does a NDA stipulate? - Answer 1. Party A has confidential information.
2. Party A needs to disclose information to Party B.
3. Party B understands its a secret and will only use it for Party A's intended use.
Can a patent or trade secret still be sought after a breach of an NDA? - Answer Yes.
Do I need to place my lawyer under an NDA? - Answer No.
The front page of the patent includes what? - Answer 1. The Patent Number
2. The date of patent issued
3. Title of the invention