Under intellectual property law what would you call information that companies keep secret to give them an
advantage over their competitors?
A.
Copyright
B.
Patent
C.
Trademark
D.
Trade Secrets
Explanation:
Edison bulb PATENTS provide rights for up to 20 years for inventions in three broad categories: Drawing of a
machine clog. Utility patents protect useful processes, machines, articles of manufacture, and compositions of
matter. Some examples: fiber optics, computer hardware, medications. Drawing of a light bulb. Design patents
guard the unauthorized use of new, original, and ornamental designs for articles of manufacture. The look of an
athletic shoe, a bicycle helmet, the Star Wars characters are all protected by design patents. Drawing of a
plant. Plant patents are the way we protect invented or discovered, asexually reproduced plant varieties. Hybrid
tea roses, Silver Queen corn, Better Boy tomatoes are all types of plant patents. Drawing of Registered
Trademark symbol a capital R inside a circle. TRADEMARKS protect words, names, symbols, sounds, or
colors that distinguish goods and services. Trademarks, unlike patents, can be renewed forever as long as they
are being used in business. The roar of the MGM lion, the pink of the Owens-Corning insulation, and the shape
of a Coca-Cola bottle are familiar trademarks. The Copyright Symbol, a Capital C inside a circle.
COPYRIGHTS protect works of authorship, such as writings, music, and works of art that have been tangibly
expressed. The Library of Congress registers copyrights which last the life of the author plus 50 years. Gone
With The Wind (the book and the film), Beatles recordings, and video games are all works that are copyrighted.
Drawing of 3 Molecules attached by small rods. TRADE SECRETS are information that companies keep secret
to give them an advantage over their competitors. The formula for CocaCola is the most famous trade secret.http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/museum/1intell.htm
HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGrawHill/Osborne,
2001, Page 664.