Final answer:
A company should purchase a patent to receive exclusive rights to a manufacturing process. Patents protect innovations for 20 to 21 years, offering monopoly profits and incentivizing research and development.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a company wants to receive exclusive rights to a manufacturing process, it should purchase a patent. A patent is the exclusive rights granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years. It is a form of intellectual property rights that ensure the innovator can protect their invention from being made, used, or sold by others without permission. Typically, patents on new products or processes, such as drugs, can last for 20 to 21 years. Acquiring a patent allows a firm to potentially earn monopoly profits during this period, acting as a significant incentive for research and development.