Patent Quiz - How Much Do You Know About Patents?

Unlock Your Patent IQ:

If you’re an innovator, startup founder, or even just curious about how patents really work, this quiz is for you! Many inventors are surprised at how much there is to know about protecting inventions, enforcing rights, and navigating real-world patent scenarios. Test your knowledge below—then check out each answer and explanation after you submit!

Answers & Explanations

1. What does a patent actually protect?
Correct: C) The right to prevent others from making, using, or selling the invention
Explanation: A patent is not protection for an idea—it’s a legal right to exclude others from using your invention as defined in your claims.

2. How do you stop a company from violating your patent?
Correct: C) Negotiate a license or take legal action in court
Explanation: The patent owner must enforce their own rights, typically by negotiation or through a lawsuit.

3. Can a provisional patent application be used to stop copycats?
Correct: B) No, it only holds your place in line and establishes a filing date
Explanation: A provisional application gives you an early filing date but isn’t enforceable by itself.

4. Does filing a provisional patent in the USA establish a priority date for international patents?
Correct: A) Yes, it establishes a priority date that can be used in later foreign or PCT applications (if filed within 12 months)
Explanation: The priority date from the provisional can be carried over to international applications if filed promptly.

5. How long does a patent last?
Correct: C) 20 years from the earliest non-provisional filing date (utility patent)
Explanation: Most U.S. utility patents last 20 years, measured from the first non-provisional filing. A provisional patent application establishes a priority date up to one year earlier and does not count against the 20 year period.

6. Is a patent needed to make and sell a product?
Correct: B) No, but it may prevent competitors from copying you
Explanation: You can sell a product without a patent, but patents prevent others from copying your idea.

7. Typical cost for a US patent on a simple mechanical device?
Correct: C) $5,000 – $15,000
Explanation: Patent costs include attorney fees, filing fees, and sometimes prototype/testing costs.

8. Average cost for patent litigation that goes to trial?
Correct: C) $1 million – $3 million
Explanation: Patent lawsuits are extremely expensive, especially if they reach trial.

9. If a US inventor has a patent in China, can they enforce it in China?
Correct: C) Yes, but only within China, through the Chinese legal system
Explanation: Patent rights are territorial; to enforce in China, you need a granted Chinese patent.

10. Can a business idea be patented?
Correct: C) Only if it’s novel, non-obvious, and described in detail as a process or system
Explanation: Abstract business ideas aren’t patentable—invention must meet legal standards and be described as an actionable process. This is an area of ongoing debate and USPTO interpretations of how and if business ideas can be patented continue to evolve.

Bonus: What does “invention” mean with regard to a patent?
Correct: C) The scope defined by the claims at the end of the patent
Explanation: The boundaries of your legal rights are in the “claims” section, not the description or drawings.

Patents are complicated. They can be incredibly valuable when they cover meaningful features and processes and next to worthless when they are easy to get around. Choosing where, what and when to file has huge effects on cost. Invention City can help you develop a smart and affordable patent strategy for your invention from a business perspective. Begin a confidential conversation here.