Intellectual property, or IP, typically comes in the form of copyrights, patents, and trademarks that provide the foundation so much of IT is built on. While we work with protected (and unprotected) entities on a daily basis, how much do we really know about them?

What follows is a self-test of 25 questions based on IP-related topics, ranging in difficulty from straightforward to strenuous. As with anything dealing with legal issues, it must be pointed out that this is meant only for entertainment purposes, and cannot constitute advice in any way shape or form.

Choose the best answer to each question. Answers are given below. Good luck!

1. You have created a whole new interface allowing users to interact with ecommerce sites. The functional elements of interaction do not change, but the aesthetic elements are unlike anything anyone has ever seen before and you want to protect your creation with a patent. Which type of patent is appropriate to apply for in this situation?
A. Utility
B. Design
C. Plant
D. Artistic

2. The marketing materials for your killer app are shaped differently than anything else in the market and thus qualify for trademark protection. How long is a trademark protectable?
A. 14 years
B. 15 years
C. 20 years
D. As long as the trademark is still used

3. At its most basic, which of the following forms of protection is used to protect video games?
A. Patent
B. Trademark
C. Copyright
D. Brandmark

4. In order to rush your product to market, you apply for a provisional patent. How long do you have, after the provisional date of file, to file for a utility patent?
A. One year
B. Two years
C. Five years
D. Seven years

5. Which of the following governmental entities issues patents and trademarks?
A. United States Patent and Trademark Office
B. Library of Congress
C. Department of Commerce
D. International Trade Commission
E. United States Attorney General

6. One of your employees comes running to meet you at the front door. He is eager to relay a phone conversation he just had with a customer who has stopped purchasing from you because they can buy similar products from another producer even though you hold a patent on the product. How should the competitor be dealt with?
A. Issue a cease-and-desist order through the USPTO.
B. Report them to the FBI's patent protection claims office.
C. File a patent infringement action against them.
D. Contact the SEC and begin formal proceedings.

7. The owner of your company is intent on protecting all the intellectual property he can and regularly encourages employees to think outside the box and document everything. Which of the following is not eligible for patent protection?
A. A magic trick
B. A new chemical formula
C. An abstract idea
D. A biological invention

8. Which of the following is the largest organization of intellectual property lawyers in the United States?
A. NOLO
B. AIPLA
C. PTOUS
D. USTPO

9. Prior to March of 2013, patents were awarded on the basis of:
A. When the invention was seen by a patent examiner
B. When the invention was demonstrated to a magistrate
C. When the application was filed
D. When invention occurred

10. The patent office requires all inventors to disclose to them all relevant and material information. This is known as the Duty of:
A. Candor
B. Honesty
C. Directness
D. Sincerity

11. Which of the following must be true in order to obtain a copyright? (Choose all that apply)
A. The work must be original.
B. The work must be creative.
C. The work must be expressed in a tangible form.
D. The work must include facts.

12. You have just completed the best business plan ever written and file for a copyright on it. What is the length of protection for this document?
A. Fourteen years
B. Twenty years
C. Your life
D. Your life plus 70 years

13. Assuming the entire business plan was written by you and you register it with the copyright office electronically, what is the current fee?
A. It is free.
B. $35
C. $350
D. More than $3500

14. A theme park wants to buy all the rights to your biography and turn it into a major attraction. When all the copyright-related rights are transferred from the creator to someone else unconditionally, it is known as a(n):
A. Assignment
B. Conveyance
C. Shift
D. Handover

15. You discover that a professor at a local college is using excerpts from your biography in the classroom for educational purposes. You have not given permission for this and the students are not buying copies of your Kindle book from which the excerpts are coming. While you are less than happy with this predicament, the professor will claim to be doing what they are under the pretense of:
A. Compliance
B. Incursion
C. Fair use
D. Acquiescence

Please visit GoCertify to attempt the remaining 10 questions of this quiz.





ANSWERS

1. B
2. D
3. C
4. A
5. A
6. C
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. A
11. A, B, and C
12. D
13. B
14. A
15. C