Question

passage ii - an early expression of democracy, the u.s. patent system is out of step with todays citizens
social science: this passage is adapted from the article \an early expression of democracy, the u.s. patent system is out of step with todays citizens\ by shobita parthasarathy (©2015 shobita parthasarathy).
the u.s. patent system, first established in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was made to be fair and equal—particularly compared to the european patent systems of the time. the u.s. encouraged great participation in the system by keeping patent application fees low and creating public displays of patented technologies to inspire others to create, too.
the u.s. system, in other words, made patents, innovation, and entrepreneurship a possibility for every citizen. the idea was to increase innovation, which would help the economy and eventually society as a whole. in many ways, these efforts were successful. patent application rates grew through the 19th and 20th centuries, and in 2014, the u.s. gave out more than 300,000 patents, for things ranging from photocopiers to solar panels. indeed, many industries have said they owe their success to this early patent system.
this approach has also gone global, buoyed by international legal agreements intended to make it easier for inventions to travel, for inventors to collect rewards across

1. what can be inferred about the relationship between the patent system and innovation according to the passage?

the patent system promoted innovation
inventors avoided the patent system
innovation declined with increased patents
the patent system hindered new inventions

Explanation:

The passage states that the U.S. patent system was designed to increase innovation by encouraging participation through low - cost applications and public displays. Patent application rates grew, and many industries credit their success to this system. So, it can be inferred that the patent system promoted innovation.

Answer:

The patent system promoted innovation