Intellectual Property & Patent Strategy Flashcards
7 cards from real CPI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Intellectual Property & Patent Strategy flashcards as text
What is a 'design patent' and what does it protect?
Answer: It protects the ornamental or aesthetic appearance of an article
A design patent protects the unique visual characteristics or ornamental design of a functional item, not the function itself.
What is a 'cross-licensing' agreement in the context of IP strategy?
Answer: An arrangement where two parties grant each other rights to use their respective patents
Cross-licensing allows two companies to grant each other the right to use their respective patents, often resolving disputes and enabling both parties to operate freely.
Which doctrine allows a court to find patent infringement even when a product doesn't literally meet every claim element?
Answer: The doctrine of equivalents
The doctrine of equivalents allows infringement to be found when a product or process performs substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same result.
What is an 'inter partes review' (IPR) proceeding at the USPTO?
Answer: A trial proceeding to challenge the validity of an issued patent before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
An IPR is a USPTO trial proceeding allowing any person to challenge the validity of an issued patent on prior art grounds before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
In open innovation strategy, what is the primary role of IP?
Answer: To enable controlled sharing of technologies while capturing value from external ideas
In open innovation, IP management enables companies to share technologies strategically through licensing while also accessing external innovations, balancing openness with value capture.
What is the significance of a 'continuation-in-part' (CIP) patent application?
Answer: It adds new matter to a parent application while retaining the parent's filing date for the original disclosure
A CIP application allows inventors to add new subject matter to a pending application; the original claims get the parent's filing date, while new claims get the CIP's filing date.
What is 'patent mapping' used for in competitive intelligence?
Answer: Visualizing the patent landscape to identify white spaces and competitor activity
Patent mapping analyzes patent portfolios across a technology domain to reveal competitor strategies, technology trends, and areas where innovation opportunities exist.