Question

A patent can be renewed:

a. every twenty years.
b. only after its economic life has been exhausted.
c. only if significantly defended in an infringement suit.
d. A patent can never be renewed.

Answer 1

A patent is granted for usually 20 years from the application filing date and cannot be renewed thereafter, making option "d. A patent can never be renewed," the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the duration and renewal of patents, which are a form of intellectual property rights granted to an inventor. By default, a patent usually grants the right to make, use, or sell the invention for a limited time, traditionally 20 years from the filing date of the patent application. After this period, the patent expires and cannot be renewed; the invention enters the public domain, allowing others to make, use, or sell the invention without infringement.

Additionally, the period of patent protection aims to balance the inventor's right to earn a return on their innovation and the public's interest in preventing monopoly pricing that hampers accessibility to new technologies. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question would be "d. A patent can never be renewed."