Why Do Some Firms Choose Not to File for a Patent

question 32

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

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Definitions:

Sesquiterpene

A category of terpenes composed of three units of isoprene, bearing the molecular formula C15H24.

Steroid

A type of organic molecule characterized by a specific carbon structure with four fused rings, playing crucial roles in biological processes.

Steroid

A type of organic molecule with a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings joined together; important in cell membrane structure and signaling.

Chair Conformation

A three-dimensional geometric shape that is the most stable and common conformation of cyclohexane, resembling a chair.