There are a few things that could be bad effects of intellectual property rights:
- B- General patents can stop people from getting patents on new ideas: This is because general patents may be so broad that they cover a wide range of products or ideas. This makes it hard for other inventors to come up with new products or ideas that are not covered by the patent. Because of this, progress and new ideas may be slowed down.
- C- Companies may use their intellectual property rights too much to stop others from using similar ideas or products. This can happen when companies use their trademarks and patents to do this. Too much enforcement can lead to lawsuits that aren't necessary, high legal fees, and, in the end, less innovation and competition in the market.
The other choices have nothing to do with intellectual property:
- A- No two companies can make the same products: This is not entirely true, as companies can make similar products without violating each other's intellectual property rights.
- D- It's easy for hackers to add malware to well-known apps: This statement has nothing to do with intellectual property rights. Instead, it's about cybersecurity.
- E-Businesses may not be able to talk to each other in a safe way. This statement has nothing to do with intellectual property rights, but rather with data privacy and security.
Rephrased if the above is hard to understand.
B- General patents can stop people from getting patents on new ideas: Patents are meant to spur innovation by giving inventors exclusive rights for a limited time, but patents that are too broad or general can have the opposite effect. They could stop other inventors from making new products or technologies that are similar to the patented invention but different in some way. This would slow down innovation.
C- Companies may be too strict with trademarks and patents: Too much enforcement can hurt competition, stop people from coming up with new ideas, and lead to lawsuits and legal costs that aren't necessary. When companies use their intellectual property rights to stop others from using similar ideas or products, they hurt both customers and competitors. This is because it can make it harder for people to find other products and ideas, raise prices, and make the market less diverse.
Options A, D, and E, on the other hand, are not bad things that could happen because of intellectual property rights. Option A, "No two companies can make the same products," is not always true, since companies can make similar products without violating each other's intellectual property rights. Option D, "Hackers can easily add malware to well-known apps," has nothing to do with intellectual property rights. Instead, it is about cybersecurity. Option E, "Businesses may not be able to talk to each other safely," is also not directly about intellectual property rights. Instead, it is about data privacy and security.