What are the merits and demerits of protecting an invention through a patent instead of trade secret law?

What will be an ideal response?

A common dilemma facing an inventor is whether to protect an invention through patent or trade secret law. If the inventor successfully patents and defends the patent, the patent holder has a guarantee of an exclusive monopoly on the use of the invention for 20 years, a substantial period of time. The problem is that, once this period is over, the patented good goes into the public domain and everyone has access to it. There is also the risk that the patent may be successfully challenged and the protection lost prematurely. Trade secret law, in contrast, could protect the invention in perpetuity. The problem is that once someone discovers the secret lawfully, the protection is lost.

Business

You might also like to view...

Chic Eyewear, a producer of designer eyeglass frames, promotes their new line in national fashion magazines. Chic Eyewear lists the select optical retailers that carry their line at the bottom of their ads. This is an example of a ________ strategy

A) push B) vertical integration C) pull D) publish-subscribe E) direct marketing

Business

The exhaustion-of-rights doctrine states that once a good made or sold under license is in circulation, the licensor has no further right to control its distribution

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Business