Why Do Some Firms Choose Not to File for a Patent

question 169

Multiple Choice

Why do some firms choose not to file for a patent and instead try to keep the results of their research a trade secret?

• A)because firms must disclose information about the product or process being patented in a patent application
• B)because trade secrets are never divulged
• C)because a patent only gives the inventor exclusive rights to a product or process for 5 years
• D)because trade secrets provide the same exclusive legal rights to a product as a patent does
• E)because legal enforcement of patents is uncertain in North America

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Definitions:

Guinea Pigs

Small rodents often used as pets or in research as model organisms for biological studies.

Heterozygous

A genetic condition where an individual has two different alleles of a gene, one inherited from each parent, leading to variation in genetic expression.

Probability

A measure of the likelihood that an event will occur, often expressed as a numerical value between 0 and 1.

Phenotypes

The observable characteristics or traits of an organism that result from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.