Which legal right can prevent others from making a claimed invention without consent?
A Copyright
B Geographical indication
C Patent
D Trade secret
Answer: C. Patent. A patent grants time-limited exclusive rights over a qualifying invention.
In India, which three tests guide patentability?
A Registration, publication, renewal
B Secrecy, authorship, reputation
C Novelty, inventive step, industrial applicability
D Popularity, branding, market share
Answer: C. Novelty, inventive step, industrial applicability. Indian patentability requires novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, subject to statutory exclusions.
How long does an Indian patent generally last from filing?
A Twenty years
B Ten years
C Fifteen years
D Life plus sixty years
Answer: A. Twenty years. The Patents Act generally sets a twenty-year term from the filing date.
Why does an Indian patent not automatically protect an invention worldwide?
A Renewal is global
B Rights are territorial
C WIPO owns inventions
D Patents cover only products
Answer: B. Rights are territorial. Patent rights apply within the jurisdiction that grants them; there is no single world patent.
What does a patent specification disclose in exchange for protection?
A The customer list
B The invention
C The brand slogan
D The product price
Answer: B. The invention. A patent system grants rights in exchange for public disclosure of the invention.
Which filing can help preserve an early patent filing date while work continues?
A Copyright notice
B Trademark renewal
C Design opposition
D Provisional application
Answer: D. Provisional application. A provisional specification can precede a complete specification, which is due within twelve months.
By when must an Indian applicant generally file the complete specification after a provisional one?
A Within twelve months
B Within six months
C Within two years
D Within ten years
Answer: A. Within twelve months. Indian patent rules require the complete specification within twelve months of the provisional filing.
How does novelty distinguish a claimed invention from prior art?
A Newness versus prior art
B Popularity
C Brand recognition
D Low price
Answer: A. Newness versus prior art. Novelty asks whether the claimed invention is new against the relevant prior art.
Suppose a useful new device seems obvious to experts. Which requirement is doubtful?
A Territorial filing
B Industrial use
C Trademark class
D Inventive step
Answer: D. Inventive step. An obvious advance may fail the inventive-step requirement even when useful.
What does industrial applicability require from a claimed invention?
A It sells internationally
B Made or used industrially
C It has a famous inventor
D It uses a logo
Answer: B. Made or used industrially. The invention must be capable of being made or used in an industry.
Can an abstract business idea alone be patented?
A No, not by itself
B Improved machine part
C New mechanical process
D Novel chemical compound
Answer: A. No, not by itself. Abstract ideas alone are not inventions; statutory exclusions also apply.
Who examines Indian patent applications and may grant patents?
A The Controller of Patents
B The company auditor
C The GI authorised user
D The Registrar of Copyrights
Answer: A. The Controller of Patents. The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks administers patent examination and grants.
What route does the PCT provide to patent applicants?
A An international application route
B A worldwide granted patent
C Automatic trademark rights
D A copyright registration
Answer: A. An international application route. The PCT offers a filing route; each national or regional office decides protection.
For an Indian national-phase PCT patent, which date starts its term?
A Renewal payment date
B International filing date
C First sale date
D Grant publication date
Answer: B. International filing date. For an Indian national-phase PCT application, the twenty-year term runs from the international filing date.
During a live product patent, which competitor action may infringe without consent?
A Discussing its claims
B Importing the patented product
C Citing its publication
D Reading its patent text
Answer: B. Importing the patented product. Unauthorised importing, making, using, offering for sale, or selling can fall within patent rights.
How can an owner let another firm use a patent while retaining ownership?
A Abandon the application
B Publish the claims
C Grant a licence
D Sell the patent
Answer: C. Grant a licence. A licence authorises specified use while ownership remains with the patent holder.
What changes hands in a patent assignment?
A A temporary price discount
B Only manufacturing advice
C Ownership of patent rights
D Only a product sample
Answer: C. Ownership of patent rights. An assignment transfers ownership; its scope should be recorded in a written instrument.
Before public disclosure, why should inventors assess novelty?
A Disclosure creates a trademark
B Disclosure extends patent term
C Disclosure guarantees a grant
D Disclosure may affect novelty
Answer: D. Disclosure may affect novelty. Earlier public disclosure can become prior art and may defeat novelty, subject to limited exceptions.
Where do readers find the boundaries of a granted patent?
A The product packaging
B The inventor biography
C The claims
D The filing receipt
Answer: C. The claims. Patent claims define the scope of the rights granted.
Does publication of a patent application itself grant protection?
A Its term restarts
B It is automatically granted
C It gains global protection
D No, publication is not grant
Answer: D. No, publication is not grant. Publication makes application information public but is not itself a grant.
After discovering prior art, what should an applicant review first?
A Claim scope with counsel
B Register a domain
C Renew a GI registration
D Change its logo
Answer: A. Claim scope with counsel. Prior art review helps assess novelty and claim scope before commercial decisions.
When may Indian law permit a compulsory licence request?
A A rival changes branding
B The owner dislikes competition
C The invention is popular
D Public needs remain unmet
Answer: D. Public needs remain unmet. Section 84 permits requests on specified grounds including unmet public requirements, affordability, or non-working.
How soon after grant may a compulsory licence application generally be made?
A After ten years
B After patent expiry
C After three years
D After six months
Answer: C. After three years. Section 84 generally permits an application after three years from grant, subject to its conditions.
In infringement analysis, what do patent claims help compare?
A Measure brand popularity
B Accused conduct against claims
C Identify a GI producer
D Calculate copyright duration
Answer: B. Accused conduct against claims. Infringement analysis compares accused conduct with the patent claims.
Before launching, which review helps reduce patent infringement risk?
A Changing the invoice format
B Registering a company name
C Printing more brochures
D Freedom-to-operate review
Answer: D. Freedom-to-operate review. A freedom-to-operate review checks relevant third-party rights in target markets.
Which set contains examples of design features considered by Indian law?
A Shape, pattern, ornamentation
B Formula, method, algorithm
C Price, warranty, revenue
D Name, slogan, password
Answer: A. Shape, pattern, ornamentation. The statutory definition focuses on visual features such as shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, or lines and colours applied to an article.
How does design registration differ from patent protection of technical function?
A Its sales forecast
B Product’s visual appearance
C Its factory location
D Its ownership structure
Answer: B. Product’s visual appearance. Design registration covers visual appearance; a technical invention or function may raise a separate patent question if statutory requirements are met.
What novelty condition applies to a design seeking registration in India?
A Already sold worldwide
B Copied from a competitor
C Not previously publicly disclosed
D Used as a brand name
Answer: C. Not previously publicly disclosed. A design must be new or original and must not have been previously published or used in the relevant way before the filing or priority date.
What is the initial term of a registered Indian design?
A Five years
B Fifteen years
C Twenty years
D Ten years
Answer: D. Ten years. The Designs Act provides an initial ten-year term from registration.
How long may registered design protection be extended after its initial term?
A Additional five years
B Additional two years
C Additional ten years
D No extension possible
Answer: A. Additional five years. On a timely application and payment of the prescribed fee, the Act allows one further five-year period.
Which law governs trademark registration in India?
A Designs Act, 2000
B Trade Marks Act, 1999
C Patents Act, 1970
D GI Act, 1999
Answer: B. Trade Marks Act, 1999. The Trade Marks Act, 1999 governs registered trademarks in India.
What should a trademark enable consumers to do?
A Measure product weight
B Prove an invention’s novelty
C Distinguish commercial source
D Identify a patent examiner
Answer: C. Distinguish commercial source. A mark is capable of distinguishing one person’s goods or services from those of others.
Why might a generic product name be refused as a trademark?
A It has too many colours
B It is easy to pronounce
C It appears on packaging
D It lacks distinctiveness
Answer: D. It lacks distinctiveness. A mark that merely names the goods or their common characteristics may fail to distinguish one trader’s goods or services.
Does using the ™ symbol prove that a mark is registered in India?
A No, it signals a claim
B Yes, registration is automatic
C Only for foreign marks
D Only for patents
Answer: A. No, it signals a claim. The ™ symbol commonly signals a claimed trademark; it does not itself establish registration.
What does the ® symbol ordinarily indicate?
A Pending patent application
B Registered trademark
C Copyright registration only
D Geographical origin
Answer: B. Registered trademark. The ® symbol is conventionally used to indicate a registered trademark; it should not imply registration where none exists.
How long does each Indian trademark registration term last?
A Five years
B Twenty years
C Ten years
D Lifetime of owner
Answer: C. Ten years. A trademark registration lasts ten years and may be renewed for further ten-year periods.
Can an Indian trademark registration be renewed repeatedly?
A No, only once
B Only for five years
C Only before first use
D Yes, in further ten-year terms
Answer: D. Yes, in further ten-year terms. The Trade Marks Act allows renewal from time to time for successive ten-year periods, subject to its requirements.
Even without registration, which action can protect an unregistered trademark in India?
A Passing off action
B Patent infringement action
C Automatic design registration
D Copyright term extension
Answer: A. Passing off action. Section 27 bars an infringement action for an unregistered trademark but preserves actions for passing off.
When can use of a registered mark infringe another party’s trademark rights?
A Any private discussion
B Unauthorized confusing commercial use
C Any honest comparison
D A permitted descriptive reference
Answer: B. Unauthorized confusing commercial use. The Act addresses unauthorized use of identical or similar marks in trade where the statutory conditions for infringement are met.
What does a collective trademark help identify?
A One inventor’s patent
B A region’s climate
C Association members’ goods or services
D A product’s chemical formula
Answer: C. Association members’ goods or services. A collective mark distinguishes the goods or services of members of an association from those of others.
What does a certification mark communicate to buyers?
A Association membership alone
B A patent’s filing date
C The seller’s legal name
D Certified product characteristics
Answer: D. Certified product characteristics. A certification mark indicates that specified characteristics of goods or services have been certified under the applicable rules.
Does an Indian-only trademark registration protect the brand automatically in every country?
A No, rights are territorial
B Yes, worldwide protection
C Only in treaty countries
D Only for online sales
Answer: A. No, rights are territorial. Trademark protection is territorial. Businesses generally need protection in each country or region where they seek rights.
What does a geographical indication connect to a particular place?
A A company with investors
B Goods with place-linked qualities
C A patent with its inventor
D Software with a licence
Answer: B. Goods with place-linked qualities. A GI identifies goods as originating in a territory, region, or locality where a quality, reputation, or other characteristic is linked to that origin.
Who has the exclusive right to use a registered GI for its covered goods under Indian law?
A Any online retailer
B The first foreign importer
C Registered authorised user
D Any local government
Answer: C. Registered authorised user. The GI Act gives the authorised user the exclusive right to use the registered indication for the goods for which it is registered.
For how long is an Indian GI registration granted before renewal is needed?
A Five years
B Twenty years
C Lifetime of the producer
D Ten years
Answer: D. Ten years. A geographical indication registration lasts ten years and may be renewed for further ten-year periods.
Can rights in a registered GI generally be assigned or licensed under the GI Act?
A No, transfers are prohibited
B Yes, without restrictions
C Only by email
D Only to foreign firms
Answer: A. No, transfers are prohibited. Section 24 prohibits assignment, transmission, licensing, pledge, mortgage, or similar agreements over registered GI rights, subject to the Act’s provisions.
Which feature best distinguishes a GI from an ordinary brand trademark?
A Inventive technical function
B Place-linked goods reputation
C Author’s creative expression
D A confidential formula
Answer: B. Place-linked goods reputation. A GI links goods to a geographic origin and associated quality, reputation, or characteristic; a trademark distinguishes commercial source.
What pair is central to keeping a trade secret protectable?
A Public disclosure and registration
B Patent grant and renewal
C Commercial value and secrecy
D Trademark use and packaging
Answer: C. Commercial value and secrecy. Trade-secret protection depends on information remaining confidential, having commercial value because it is secret, and reasonable steps being taken to preserve secrecy.
What does the Patent Cooperation Treaty provide applicants?
A One global patent grant
B Worldwide copyright registration
C Automatic trademark ownership
D International patent filing system
Answer: D. International patent filing system. The PCT streamlines filing across multiple countries, but national or regional offices make the grant decisions.
Can a farmer sell branded seed of a protected variety under the PPVFR Act?
A Yes, without conditions
B No, branded seed excluded
C Only after patent expiry
D Only to the breeder
Answer: B. No, branded seed excluded. The Act allows specified farmer activities involving farm produce and seed but excludes sale of branded seed of a protected variety.