LATEST UPDATE 2026
A competitor can lawfully discover a trade secret by performing reverse engineering -
Answers true
A patent can only be claimed for a limited amount of time. - Answers true
Improvements to existing machines, processes, or compositions of matter cannot be
patented. - Answers false
If an invention is obvious, then it does not qualify for a patent. - Answers true
Utility patents for inventions are valid for the whole of the inventor's life and 70 years
after that. - Answers false
The patent term begins to run from the date the patent is issued - Answers false
In the United States, the first person to invent an item or a process is given patent
protection over a later inventor who was first to file a patent application - Answers
false
A patent in the public domain can be purchased by a non-patent holder - Answers
false
Non-patented inventions that have been in public use for over a year can still be
patented - Answers false
Utility patents for inventions are valid for 20 years. - Answers true
A utility patent is a patent that may be obtained for the ornamental nonfunctional
design of an item - Answers false
Copyright for a work can only be claimed once the U.S. Copyright Office issues it. -
Answers false
After the copyright period runs out, the work enters the public domain - Answers true
The fair use doctrine for copyrights allows certain limited unauthorized use of
copyrighted material - Answers true
The fair use doctrine for copyrights does not allow reproduction of a work in a
legislative or judicial proceeding - Answers false
The No Electronic Theft Act (NET Act) can be invoked for copyright infringements
that do not involve financial gain. - Answers true
A company slogan is an example of a trademark. - Answers true
A trademark is only issued if the registrant proves he has used the mark in commerce
or shows he intends to use it within 6 months - Answers true
The trademark symbol "TM" is used to indicate a registered mark. - Answers false
A party that does not register its brand name has no legal right over it. - Answers
false
The trademark symbols "TM" and "SM" can be used to protect intellectual property
rights - Answers true
A service mark is used to distinguish the product of the holder from those of its
competitors - Answers false
A party has to be a member of an organization to use a certification mark. - Answers
false
Ordinary words or symbols that have taken on a secondary meaning will qualify as
marks - Answers true
Distinctive marks are ordinary words or symbols that have acquired special meaning
with a product or service - Answers false
Trademarks that have become generic names are protected under federal trademark
law. - Answers false