TOPIC 2: Intellectual Property

Review Questions

  • What is meant by Intellectual Property (IP)? What are the legislations covering IPs in your country? Who is responsible for administration of Intellectual Property in your country?
  • What is a patent? How is discovery defined in your country's Patents Act?, Which can qualify for the grant of a patent? What are the types of invention which are not patentable in your country?  When should an application for a patent be filed? Can a published or disclosed invention be patented? Does grant of a patent in one country affect its grant or refusal in another country?
  • What is the meaning of the term “fair use”? What are the “four factors” of fair use? If I don’t make money from using someone else’s work, there’s no harm done, is that right? Briefly explain
  • What about an invention that I have written or produced? Can I use them any way I want to? What about publishing them on my web site? Briefly explain
  • What can I do to protect my work under copyright law? How are computer programs defined for the purpose of copyright? If an employee in a company develops a program, would this employee own the copyright? If a book is out of print, do I have to worry about copyright? To what extent am I personally liable as a faculty member, student, or employee of the University for violating copyright law?
  • How much information can I use from a copyrighted work without getting permission? When should I get permission to use a copyrighted work? If an independent third party develops a program for a company, who owns the copyright?
  • What is the term of a registered trademark? Why do contemporary information systems technology and the Internet pose challenges to the protection of individual privacy and intellectual property?