Remember, you must cite and reference sources. Your answer must be a minimum of 2 full pages in length.

The duration of rights for patents and copyrights are fixed by Congress and expire after a certain number of years. As a general rule, the duration of a copyright is the life of the author plus 70 years, and the duration of a design patent is 20 years from the date of application. Rights in trademarks and trade secrets, in contrast, can be perpetual. Why do you think that intellectual property rights in copyrights and patents expire, while intellectual property rights in trademarks and trade secrets can last indefinitely? Do you think that the duration of intellectual property rights should be extended or reduced? Why or why not? Does your position change if you are the consumer rather than an author or inventor?