Deck 9: Protecting Innovation

Question 1

The scientists at Brainstorm Inc.,a private medical research firm,have come up with a remarkable method for curing cancer.This cancer treatment technology is well protected and cannot be easily duplicated.Based on this information,it would be most accurate to say that this technology:

A) cannot be patented.
B) is easily imitable.
C) is not socially complex.
D) has a high degree of appropriability.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

For technologies in which standardization and compatibility are important,maintaining the integrity of the core product is absolutely essential.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A common set of international copyright laws automatically protects an author's work throughout the world.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Titles and names can be copyrighted.

Question 5

If multiple firms benefit from a technology's success,the developer of that technology has a much greater incentive to invest in further developing the technology.

Question 6

A service mark distinguishes the provider of a service rather than a product.

Question 7

After much research,Angela has designed a new automobile tire with a unique polycarbonate exterior that cannot be punctured.In the context of U.S.patent law,which of the following statements would be true for this invention?

A) It can be patented as it is useful, novel, and not obvious.
B) It can only receive a plant patent.
C) It cannot be patented because tires are intangible products.
D) It cannot be patented as it is only eligible for a copyright protection.

Question 8

Tacit knowledge is best defined as the knowledge that:

A) cannot be readily codified or transferred in written form.
B) cannot be patented.
C) has a very low degree of appropriability.
D) is not eligible for copyright protection.

Question 9

If you live in a country that is a member of the Madrid Union and you register a trademark in your country,that trademark is protected throughout the world.

Question 10

If the knowledge underlying a particular technology is tacit,competitors will typically find it very easy to duplicate.

Question 11

When multiple firms can produce a technology,losing money on the technology in the short term to promote it as a standard is highly risky.

Question 12

Wholly open systems are usually quickly commoditized and provide little appropriability of rents to their developers.

Question 13

Discovery of scientific principles that pertain to natural laws can be patented.

Question 14

Trademarks must be registered before a suit can be brought in federal court against an infringement of the mark.

Question 15

In the United States,there are no laws to protect trade secrets.

Question 16

Under U.S.patent law,which of the following is one of the mandatory requirements to be met by a new invention in order to be eligible for patent protection?

A) It must be obvious.
B) It must be novel.
C) It must substitute one material for another.
D) It must substitute an element for an equivalent element.

Question 17

Felix has designed a pair of sunglasses that can be folded and put into a case that easily fits into a shirt or pant pocket.Felix wants to know if he can receive a patent on this invention.Which of the following responses would be most accurate according to U.S.patent law?

A) He cannot receive a patent as the invention is only eligible for a copyright protection.
B) He cannot receive a patent since he is merely making the sunglasses more portable.
C) He cannot receive a patent as the invention is not useful.
D) He can receive a patent as the invention is a tangible product.

Question 18

Technology trajectories are path dependent.

Question 19

External development efforts typically lack the coordination of internal development.

Question 20

Patent laws do not vary from country to country.

Question 21

Albert has designed a license plate holder for automobiles that makes theft of the license plate practically impossible.He has limited income and feels that he needs to protect his patent in numerous countries so that he can sell his product there in the future.Discuss how Albert can accomplish this.

Question 22

Sandy lives in a country that is a member of the Madrid Union.She has registered her trademark within her country.Her trademark is now protected:

A) throughout the world.
B) only in the countries that Sandy chooses among the members of the Madrid Union.
C) only in her own country.
D) only in the countries where products with the trademark are manufactured.

Question 23

LiteShoes Inc.has recently obtained architectural control for its shoe glider technology.By doing so,the company has:

A) improved its efficiency in controlling the rate at which the technology is upgraded or refined.
B) limited its ability to measure the product's compatibility with the complements produced by others.
C) limited its potential to influence other firms in the industry.
D) eliminated the possibilities of "feature creep."

Question 24

David and Sons Corp.,a firm that manufactures home appliances,uses a symbol resembling a lightning strike to distinguish its products from other similar products in the market.This symbol is an example of a(n):

A) patent.
B) embargo.
C) statute.
D) trademark.

Question 25

_____ specifies a minimum level of copyright protection for all member countries,and it requires member countries to offer the same protection to both its own citizens and foreign nationals.

A) The Berne Convention
B) Treaty of Easton
C) The Patent Cooperation Treaty
D) The Madrid Agreement

Question 26

Joe's Burgers Corp.is a famous fast-food chain that uses a picture of a cook in a red hat as its symbol.It would not be legal for you to sell hamburgers with the same identification picture as that of Joe's Burgers because that would be a(n):

A) patent violation.
B) trademark violation.
C) embargo violation.
D) trade secret violation.

Question 27

What is a trademark? How can the rights to a trademark or service mark be established?

Question 28

Software whose code is made freely available to others for use,augmentation,and resale is referred to as:

A) wholly proprietary systems.
B) patented software.
C) open source software.
D) copyright protected systems.

Question 29

Jonathan has recently developed a new kind of camera.He has a working prototype and plans to patent his invention.He needs to raise money for production,so he wants articles about his camera to appear in various publications.Discuss the problems that Jonathan might have to face if he wants to seek patents in other countries in the future.

Question 30

Singing Cards Corp.has decided to make the technology behind its musical cards open.Which of the following is most likely to be one of the advantages associated with this decision?

A) The technology will accrue more rapid adoptions.
B) The price of the technology will rise exponentially.
C) The production of complementary goods will cease.
D) The technology's installed base will accumulate much more slowly.

Question 31

Angelo has designed a license plate holder for automobiles that makes theft of the license plate practically impossible.He has filed an application for a patent through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)office,and it has been approved.How long is this application going to protect his right to file for patent protection in the member countries of the PCT?

A) 3 days
B) 6 months
C) 1 year
D) 2 ½ years

Question 32

George has come up with a new computer program to help sellers manage online auctions at sites such as eBay.It is more efficient than just using a spreadsheet to track auctions.He would like his program to become the dominant design,but he also wants to earn a profit from all his hard work.What can George do to most effectively meet both these objectives?

Question 33

To ensure that companies do not receive patents in countries where they do not intend to set up production of the invention,some countries have a "working requirement," according to which:

A) if the product is not profitable, it will not be granted a patent.
B) patents in a country will only be granted to people who have been working in the country for at least one year.
C) the invention must be manufactured in the country where the patent was granted within a specified period of time.
D) the workers who manufacture the product must be from the country where the patent was granted.

Question 34

The difference between copyrights and trademark protection is that:

A) trademark is an indicator used to distinguish the source of a good.
B) trademarks are a form of protection granted to works of authorship.
C) copyrights are established by the legitimate use of a product.
D) copyrights can last as long as the copyright is in use.

Question 35

In the United States,utility patent owners are granted a term of _____ years of protection.

A) 35
B) 20
C) 90
D) 50

Question 36

Stevenson,a U.S.citizen,wrote a book called The Ten Commandments of Leadership.He gave away copies of the book to the people who attended his workshops on leadership.The copyright protection for this book:

A) is nonexistent unless Stevenson registers it with the Copyright Office.
B) is in effect from the time the book was created and fixed in a copy.
C) will be valid for only 20 years since the publication of the book.
D) will be valid till Stevenson dies.

Question 37

Which of the following can be protected by a copyright?

A) Familiar symbols
B) Names of people
C) An improvisational speech that has not been recorded
D) A novel

Question 38

What is a copyright? Discuss the provisions of the section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true of a patent?

A) The laws governing patent protection are universal and do not differ from country to country.
B) A patent granted in one country provides protection in all other countries as well.
C) In the United States, an inventor can publish an invention up to a year before applying for the patent.
D) Discovery of scientific principles that pertain to natural laws can be patented.

Question 40

Sally has come up with a unique recipe for cookies and is selling them through exclusive outlets all across Atlanta.As the sales skyrocket,her friends tell her to patent the recipe.However,she is so protective of her recipe that she does not even want to reveal her secret ingredients to a government agency.Is there anything she can do to keep the recipe legally protected?

A) No, she cannot protect her recipe unless she is willing to get her recipe patented.
B) Yes, her recipe can be considered a trade secret and she can legally prevent others from benefiting from her recipe without her permission.
C) Yes, she can declare her recipe to be a trade secret and register it with the U.S. Trade Secret Agency.
D) No, the recipe is not a tangible product and therefore cannot be protected.