Re: Copyright and patent laws attempt to encourage innovation
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20 May 2021, 21:42
The first part of the sentence: "Copyright and patent laws attempt to encourage innovation by ensuring that inventors are paid for creative work" claims that patent laws helps to achieve a level of protection for the innovator which is desirable.
The second part of the sentence: "so it would be ___ if expanded protection under these laws discouraged entrepreneurial innovation by increasing fears of lawsuits." presents an idea that this level of protection may be discouraging for innovators. This idea actually contradicts the first part of the sentence.
Hence, the blank must be filled by a word which can link the contradiction and the word that does so is "ironic".