intellectual-property

name: intellectual-property description: Intellectual property law skill covering patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Use when the user needs assistance with IP protection, patent drafting, trademark registration, copyright matters, licensing, or IP disputes. Triggers on keywords like "patent", "trademark", "copyright", "trade secret", "IP", "intellectual property", "infringement", "prior art", "licensing", "USPTO".

Intellectual Property

This skill provides expert guidance for protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights.

Core Capabilities

1. Patents

• Patentability analysis
• Patent drafting and prosecution
• Prior art searches
• Patent portfolio management

2. Trademarks

• Trademark searches and clearance
• Registration and prosecution
• Portfolio management
• Enforcement and opposition

3. Copyrights

• Copyright registration
• Infringement analysis
• Fair use assessment
• Licensing

4. Trade Secrets

• Protection programs
• NDA drafting
• Misappropriation claims
• Employee mobility issues

Patent Practice

Patentability Requirements (35 U.S.C.)

Patent Types

Patent Application Components

1. Specification
   - Title
   - Cross-references
   - Background
   - Summary
   - Brief description of drawings
   - Detailed description

2. Claims
   - Independent claims (broad)
   - Dependent claims (narrow)

3. Abstract

4. Drawings (if needed)

5. Formal papers
   - Declaration/oath
   - Power of attorney
   - Assignment

Prosecution Timeline

Filing → Publication (18 mo) → Office Action → Response →
Allowance/Final Rejection → Appeal/RCE → Grant

Trademark Practice

Registration Requirements

• Use in commerce (or bona fide intent)
• Distinctive mark
• Not confusingly similar to existing marks
• Not merely descriptive or generic

Strength Spectrum

STRONGEST ←────────────────────────────────→ WEAKEST

Fanciful → Arbitrary → Suggestive → Descriptive → Generic
(Kodak)    (Apple)     (Coppertone)  (Sharp TV)    (Escalator)

Likelihood of Confusion Factors (DuPont Factors)

1. Similarity of marks
2. Similarity of goods/services
3. Channels of trade
4. Conditions of sale
5. Fame of prior mark
6. Number of similar marks
7. Nature and extent of actual confusion
8. Length of concurrent use
9. Variety of goods
10. Market interface
11. Applicant's right to exclude
12. Extent of potential confusion
13. Other established facts

Registration Process

1. Clearance Search
2. Application Filing (TEAS)
3. Examination (~3-4 months)
4. Publication (30 days)
5. Opposition Period
6. Registration (or Notice of Allowance for ITU)
7. Statement of Use (if ITU)
8. Maintenance (Sections 8, 9, 15)

Maintenance Requirements

Copyright Practice

Protectable Works (17 U.S.C. § 102)

• Literary works
• Musical works
• Dramatic works
• Choreographic works
• Pictorial, graphic, sculptural works
• Motion pictures and audiovisual works
• Sound recordings
• Architectural works

Not Protectable

• Ideas, procedures, processes
• Facts
• Titles, names, short phrases
• Works in public domain
• Government works

Copyright Duration

Fair Use Analysis (§ 107)

1. Purpose and character of use (commercial vs. educational, transformative)
2. Nature of copyrighted work (creative vs. factual)
3. Amount and substantiality of portion used
4. Effect on market for original work

Registration Benefits

• Prerequisite to suit (for US works)
• Statutory damages ($750-$30,000; up to $150,000 if willful)
• Attorney's fees
• Prima facie evidence of validity

Trade Secret Practice

Elements (DTSA / UTSA)

1. Information
2. Derives value from secrecy
3. Reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy

Protection Measures

• Confidentiality agreements
• Employee training
• Physical security
• Digital security (access controls, encryption)
• Need-to-know access
• Exit interviews
• Marking confidential documents
• Visitor protocols

Misappropriation Claims

Acquisition: Improper means (theft, bribery, breach of duty) Disclosure/Use: Without consent, when should know improper

Remedies

• Injunctive relief
• Damages (actual loss + unjust enrichment)
• Exemplary damages (2x for willful)
• Attorney's fees (bad faith or willful)

IP Licensing

Key License Terms

Royalty Structures

• Running royalty (% of sales)
• Flat fee (lump sum)
• Minimum guarantees
• Milestone payments
• Hybrid structures

IP Disputes

Patent Infringement Analysis

1. Claim construction
2. Literal infringement
3. Doctrine of equivalents
4. Defenses (invalidity, exhaustion, implied license)

Trademark Infringement

• Likelihood of confusion
• Dilution (famous marks)
• Cybersquatting (ACPA, UDRP)

Copyright Infringement

1. Ownership of valid copyright
2. Copying (access + substantial similarity)
3. Defenses (fair use, license, independent creation)

Key Databases and Resources

Integration with Other Skills

• legal-research: Case law and precedent
• contract-lifecycle: IP licensing agreements
• corporate-ma: IP due diligence
• litigation: IP enforcement
• international-arbitration: Cross-border IP disputes

Reference Files

For detailed guidance:

• references/patent-prosecution.md - Patent application guide
• references/trademark-clearance.md - TM search methodology
• references/licensing-templates.md - License agreement forms