This is Set IV of our CSE332 Industry Ethics and Legal Issues MCQs, and it covers intellectual property rights (IPR) as they apply in India. This unit is fact heavy, so most questions test terms of protection, the main Acts and the basic test for each type of IP.
The set covers patents, copyright, trademarks, industrial designs, geographical indications and trade secrets, along with the two international names you must know: WIPO and the TRIPS Agreement.
How to use this set: pick an option for each question. You will see straight away whether it is right, with a short note on why. There are 15 questions.
What this set covers
- Patents Act 1970: term and patentability criteria
- Copyright Act 1957: term, fair dealing and software
- Trademarks: term, ™ vs ® and service marks
- Industrial designs and geographical indications
- Trade secrets and NDAs
- WIPO and TRIPS
Industry Ethics and Legal Issues MCQs with answers and explanations
Q1. Under the Indian Patents Act, 1970, the term of a patent is:
a) 20 years from the date of filing
b) 15 years from publication
c) 10 years from grant
d) Life of the inventor plus 60 years
Q2. Which of these is NOT one of the three basic requirements for an invention to be patentable?
a) Industrial application
b) Inventive step
c) Novelty
d) Aesthetic appeal
Q3. Under Section 3(k) of the Indian Patents Act, which of the following is not patentable?
a) A new medical device
b) A new machine
c) A computer programme per se
d) A new chemical process
Q4. For a literary work such as a novel, copyright in India generally lasts for:
a) 10 years, renewable
b) The author's lifetime plus 60 years
c) 20 years from publication
d) The author's lifetime only
Q5. Under the Indian Copyright Act, computer programs are protected as:
a) Patents
b) Industrial designs
c) Literary works
d) Trade secrets only
Q6. Copyright protects:
a) The expression of an idea, such as the actual text or code
b) Any method of doing business
c) A brand name
d) The idea behind a work
Q7. A student quotes two short paragraphs from a book in her review of that book. This use is usually allowed under:
a) Passing off
b) Compulsory licensing
c) Fair dealing
d) Patent exhaustion
Q8. Is registration necessary to get copyright in India?
a) No, copyright arises automatically when an original work is created and fixed
b) Yes, copyright exists only after registration
c) Only for foreign authors
d) Only for software
Q9. A registered trademark in India is valid for:
a) Life of the owner plus 60 years
b) 10 years, and can be renewed again and again for 10 years at a time
c) 20 years and cannot be renewed
d) 5 years only
Q10. What is the difference between the ™ and ® symbols?
a) ™ is for services and ® for goods
b) ® can be used only for a registered trademark, while ™ can be used to claim an unregistered mark
c) They mean the same thing
d) ® is used only outside India
Q11. A mark that identifies the services of a business, such as a bank or an airline, rather than goods is called a:
a) Collective mark
b) Certification mark
c) Service mark
d) Geographical indication
Q12. Darjeeling Tea, Kanchipuram silk and Mysore silk are examples of:
a) Patents
b) Geographical indications
c) Industrial designs
d) Trade secrets
Q13. The Designs Act, 2000 protects:
a) The visual features of a product, such as shape, pattern or ornamentation
b) The brand name
c) The source code
d) How a product works
Q14. Which of these is the best example of a trade secret?
a) A registered logo
b) A song on a streaming platform
c) A published patent
d) The secret recipe of a soft drink kept confidential by the company
Q15. The TRIPS Agreement, which sets minimum standards for IP protection among member countries, is administered by the:
a) World Trade Organization (WTO)
b) United Nations Security Council
c) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
d) International Monetary Fund
Quick revision notes
- Patent: Patents Act 1970, 20 years from filing. Tests: novelty, inventive step, industrial application. Section 3(k) excludes computer programmes per se.
- Copyright: Copyright Act 1957, life of author + 60 years for literary works. Software is a literary work. Protects expression, not ideas. Registration optional.
- Trademark: Trade Marks Act 1999, 10 years, renewable indefinitely. ® only for registered marks.
- Design: Designs Act 2000, 10 + 5 years. GI: Darjeeling Tea was India's first GI.
- Trade secrets have no registration and no fixed term. WIPO (UN agency, Geneva) vs TRIPS (WTO agreement, 1995).
Frequently asked questions
Can I patent my app in India?
Not as code alone, because Section 3(k) excludes computer programmes per se. Your code is still protected by copyright automatically, and your app's name and logo can be registered as a trademark.
Which IP right lasts the longest?
A trademark can last forever as long as it is renewed every 10 years and kept in use. A trade secret also has no fixed end, but it is lost the moment the secret becomes public.
What is the difference between WIPO and TRIPS?
WIPO is an organisation, a UN agency in Geneva that runs many IP treaties. TRIPS is an agreement under the WTO that sets minimum IP standards which member countries must follow in their own laws.
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Frequently asked questions
What does CSE332 Industry Ethics and Legal Issues cover?
It covers professional and business ethics, codes of conduct, intellectual property rights (patents, copyright, trademarks), cyber law in India including the IT Act 2000, and ethical issues such as privacy, data security and plagiarism in the IT industry.
How should I use these MCQ sets?
Attempt every question before checking the answer, note the ones you get wrong, and revise those topics from your course notes. Then move to the next set in the series.
Are these questions from the actual exam?
No. They are practice questions written to match the course syllabus. Use them alongside your class material and previous papers.
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