Question

Which of the following practices were common in early patent systems?

a) Strict criteria for patentability.
b) Exclusive grants of monopoly rights.
c) Public disclosure of patent documents.
d) Limited protection for inventors.

Answer 1

Early patent systems had strict criteria for patentability, granted exclusive monopoly rights to inventors, required public disclosure of patent documents, and provided limited protection for inventors.

Step-by-step explanation:

In early patent systems, the following practices were common:

1. Strict criteria for patentability: Patent systems had specific requirements that an invention had to meet in order to be granted a patent.
2. Exclusive grants of monopoly rights: Patents provided inventors with exclusive rights to their inventions, giving them a monopoly over the production and sale of the invention.
3. Public disclosure of patent documents: Patents were made publicly available, allowing others to learn from and build upon existing inventions.
4. Limited protection for inventors: Patent protection was limited in duration, typically lasting for a set period of time before the invention would enter the public domain.