---
title: "IPR, working hours, public vs private company"
subject: "Engineering Professional Practice"
chapter: 5
key: "semester_8/engineering_professional_practice:ipr-labour-working-hours-companies"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/ipr-labour-working-hours-companies
site: BCT Engineering
---

# IPR, working hours, public vs private company

Engineering Professional Practice · Chapter 5: Regulatory Environment

- Asked in: 2073 Bhadra, 4 marks
- Video: [Intellectual Property Law Explained | Copyrights, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, & Patents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUo4G1lw-w8) — All Up In Yo' Business with Attorney Aiden Durham
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/ipr-labour-working-hours-companies
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/chapter-5

## Question

What is intellectual property right? Write in briefly the working hour provision of labour law. Differentiate between public and private company.

## Short answer

Intellectual property rights grant creators exclusive control over their inventions, artistic works, and brands. The Labour Act prescribes 8 working hours per day, 48 per week, with 1.5x overtime pay. A public company has at least 7 shareholders and can offer shares to the public; a private company has 1–101 shareholders and restricts share transfer.

## Answer

#### Intellectual property right
**IPR** is the legal right granted to a creator or inventor over the products of his or her intellect (inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, names and symbols), so that others cannot copy or use them without permission. The main forms are copyright (Copyright Act 2059) and patent, design and trademark (Patent, Design and Trademark Act 2022).

#### Working hour provision of labour law (Labour Act 2074)
- Normal working time is **8 hours a day and 48 hours a week**.
- A **rest of at least 30 minutes** after 5 hours of continuous work.
- A weekly rest of at least one day (usually Saturday).
- **Overtime** needs the worker's consent, is limited to 4 hours a day and 24 hours a week, and is paid at 1.5 times the normal rate.
- Night work, and work by women and young persons, have special restrictions.

#### Public vs private company (Companies Act 2063)
| Basis | Public company | Private company |
|---|---|---|
| Shareholders | At least 7 (no maximum) | 1 to 101 |
| Shares | Can be offered to the public | Cannot be offered to the public |
| Transfer of shares | Free | Restricted by the articles |
| Directors | At least 3 | At least 1 |
| Disclosure | Prospectus, annual reports and strict disclosure | Less disclosure |
| Name ending | "Limited" | "Private Limited" |

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What does an intellectual property right stop others from doing?
   A. Using the creation without the creator's permission
   B. Buying the product
   C. Reading about the invention
   D. Working in the same field
   Answer: A. IPR stop others copying or using the creator's product without permission. (Key point: IPR meaning)

2. What rest is required under Labour Act 2074 working-hour provisions?
   A. At least 30 minutes after 5 hours of continuous work
   B. 1 hour after 2 hours
   C. No rest if overtime
   D. 10 minutes after 8 hours
   Answer: A. At least 30 minutes of rest after 5 hours of continuous work. (Key point: Rest period)

3. Which pair of shareholder limits is correct?
   A. Public: at least 7, no maximum; private: 1 to 101
   B. Public: 1 to 101; private: at least 7
   C. Both: exactly 7
   D. Public: max 101; private: no limit
   Answer: A. A public company needs at least 7 shareholders with no maximum; a private one has 1 to 101. (Key point: Shareholder limits)

4. What is a key difference in offering shares?
   A. Private companies may offer shares to the public
   B. Public companies can offer shares to the public; private cannot
   C. Neither can issue shares
   D. Only private companies are audited
   Answer: B. Only public companies may offer shares to the public. (Key point: Share offering)

## Related in Engineering Professional Practice

- [Public vs private limited company](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Apublic-vs-private-limited-company) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 5
- [IPR types and public private partnership](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aipr-copyright-trademark-patent-ppp) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 5
- [Society elements, man-society relation, public vs private](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Asociety-elements-man-relation) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 1
- [IPR and company registration in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aipr-company-registration-nepal) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 5
- [Tort law; copyright vs patent right](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Atort-reasons-copyright-patent) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2
- [Business law and labour law in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Abusiness-labour-law-nepal) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 5, asked 2×

## Related in other subjects

- [Public versus private transportation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Apublic-private) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 1, asked 3×