What type of information is protected under patent law?

Patent law is designed to protect innovative inventions, fundamentally rewarding inventors for their contributions to science and technology. This protection allows inventors to have exclusive rights to their inventions for a certain period, typically 20 years from the filing date of the patent application. By securing a patent, inventors can prevent others from making, using, or selling their inventions without permission, thereby incentivizing creativity and investment in research and development.

While other options may involve forms of intellectual property or sensitive information, they do not fall under the realm of patent law. For example, confidential employee data is typically governed by employment laws and privacy regulations; business strategies may be protected by trade secret laws if they're kept confidential, but they do not qualify for patent protection as inventions do; and trade secrets are protected through different mechanisms, focusing on maintaining confidentiality rather than formal registration like patents do. Thus, innovative inventions are aptly recognized and safeguarded under patent law, making this option the correct choice.