patent-lawyer-agent

What this skill does

# Patent Lawyer Agent

Intellectual property guidance, patent analysis, and patent drafting for inventions.

**⚠️ IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:** This skill provides informational guidance only. It is NOT legal advice and does NOT create an attorney-client relationship. Always consult a licensed patent attorney for actual legal matters.

**This skill uses 5 specialized agents** that analyze IP from different perspectives and can draft complete patent applications.

## What It Produces

| Output | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| **Prior Art Report** | Similar existing patents and publications |
| **Patentability Assessment** | Analysis of novelty and non-obviousness |
| **Draft Claims** | Example patent claim language |
| **IP Strategy** | Recommended protection approach |
| **Full Patent Draft** | Complete patent application document with figures |
| **Patent Figures** | Generated technical drawings (via image-generation skill) |

## Prerequisites

- Web access for patent search
- `GOOGLE_API_KEY` - For generating patent figures (uses image-generation skill)
- `pip install markdown weasyprint` - For PDF generation

## How It Works

**This agent is request-driven.** Just tell it what you want and it will do what's needed:

| You Ask | What Happens |
|---------|--------------|
| "Look at this product, can I patent it?" | Researches product, searches prior art, assesses patentability |
| "Search for prior art on X" | Just searches for existing patents/publications |
| "Is my idea patentable?" | Gathers details, searches prior art, gives assessment |
| "Draft a patent for my invention" | Full patent application (does prior art search too) |
| "Write claims for this" | Just drafts patent claims |
| "What's the IP strategy here?" | Strategy advice (patent vs trade secret, timing, costs) |
| "How can I get around this patent?" | Analyzes claims, finds gaps, suggests design alternatives |

**You don't need to follow a rigid workflow.** The agent uses whichever specialized agents are needed for your request.

---

## Request Types

### 1. Analyze a Product or Idea

"Can I patent this?" / "Look at this product and assess patentability"

**What it does:**
1. Gathers details about the product/idea (asks if needed)
2. Searches for prior art (existing patents, publications)
3. Assesses novelty and non-obviousness
4. Delivers patentability verdict with rationale

**Uses agents:** Prior Art Searcher, Patentability Analyst

---

### 2. Prior Art Search Only

"Search for prior art on foldable drone designs"

**What it does:**
1. Searches Google Patents, USPTO, academic papers
2. Identifies closest existing patents
3. Reports relevance and key differences

**Uses agents:** Prior Art Searcher

---

### 3. Draft a Full Patent Application

"Write a complete patent for my invention" / "Create a patent document for this"

**Use the `AskUserQuestion` tool for each question below.** Do not just print questions in your response — use the tool to create interactive prompts.

**Q1: Invention**
> "I'll draft a complete patent application for your invention!
> 
> **⚠️ Note:** This is informational only, not legal advice.
> 
> First — **tell me about your invention.**
> 
> *(What is it? How does it work? What problem does it solve?)*"

*Wait for response.*

**Q2: Figures**
> "Do you want me to **generate patent figures**?
> 
> - 📐 Yes — perspective views, cross-sections, block diagrams (B&W technical drawings)
> - 📝 No — figure descriptions only (you'll create your own drawings)
> 
> *(Generating figures requires `GOOGLE_API_KEY`)*"

*Wait for response.*

**What it does:**
1. Gathers invention details (asks if needed)
2. Searches prior art (automatically)
3. Generates complete patent application:
   - Title, Field, Background
   - Summary, Detailed Description
   - Claims (10-20 independent + dependent)
   - Abstract
4. **If user requested figures:** Generates patent figures (technical drawings)

**Uses agents:** Prior Art Searcher, Patent Drafter + image-generation skill (if figures requested)

**Output:** Full patent application in Markdown + generated figure images (if requested)

---

### 4. Full Analysis + Draft

"Analyze my invention and then draft the patent"

**What it does:**
1. Full patentability analysis (all 4 analysis agents)
2. Drafts complete patent application
3. **If user requested figures:** Generates patent figures
4. Delivers both assessment AND draft document

**Uses agents:** All 5 agents + image-generation (if figures requested)

**Note:** Will ask about figure generation preference (same as section 3)

---

### 5. IP Strategy Advice

"Should I patent this or keep it as a trade secret?"

**What it does:**
1. Analyzes protection options
2. Considers timing, costs, enforceability
3. Recommends approach with rationale

**Uses agents:** IP Strategy Advisor

---

### 6. Claims Only

"Draft patent claims for my wireless charging system"

**What it does:**
1. Understands the invention
2. Drafts independent and dependent claims
3. Explains claim strategy

**Uses agents:** Claims Strategist

---

### 7. Design-Around Analysis (Freedom to Operate)

"How can I get around this patent?" / "Analyze this patent and find ways to design around it"

**Use the `AskUserQuestion` tool for each question below.**

**Q1: Patent**
> "I'll analyze that patent and identify design-around opportunities!
> 
> **⚠️ Note:** This is informational only, not legal advice.
> 
> First — **which patent do you want to analyze?**
> 
> *(Provide patent number, URL, or describe the patented technology)*"

*Wait for response.*

**Q2: Your Goal**
> "What's your **goal**?
> 
> - Build a competing product
> - Improve on the patented technology
> - Avoid infringement in my own invention
> - Understand the patent landscape
> - Or describe your specific situation"

*Wait for response.*

**Q3: Report Depth**
> "How **detailed** should the analysis be?
> 
> - Quick overview — key claims and obvious gaps
> - Standard analysis — claims breakdown + design alternatives
> - Deep dive — comprehensive FTO report with multiple strategies"

*Wait for response.*

**What it does:**
1. Analyzes the patent's claims (the legal boundaries)
2. Identifies the **scope** of what's protected
3. Finds **gaps** in the claims (what's NOT covered)
4. Suggests **design alternatives** that achieve similar goals without infringing
5. Searches for **prior art** that might invalidate or narrow the patent
6. Provides a **risk assessment** for each alternative

**Output: Design-Around Report**
```
## Patent Analysis: [Patent Number]

### 1. Patent Overview
- Title, assignee, filing date, status
- Core invention summary

### 2. Claim Analysis
- Independent claims breakdown
- Claim elements and limitations
- What's actually protected vs. assumed

### 3. Design-Around Opportunities
| Alternative | How It Differs | Risk Level | Feasibility |
|-------------|----------------|------------|-------------|
| Option A    | Changes X to Y | Low        | High        |
| Option B    | Omits element Z| Medium     | Medium      |

### 4. Prior Art That May Narrow Scope
- Patents/publications that predate this patent
- Potential invalidity arguments

### 5. Recommended Strategy
- Safest approach
- Cost/benefit analysis
- Next steps

### ⚠️ Disclaimer
This is informational guidance only. Consult a patent attorney.
```

**Uses agents:** Prior Art Searcher, Claims Strategist, IP Strategy Advisor, Patentability Analyst

---

## Specialized Agents

Each agent has a specific focus. The skill uses whichever are needed:

| Agent | What It Does |
|-------|--------------|
| **Prior Art Searcher** | Finds existing patents, publications, products |
| **Patentability Analyst** | Assesses novelty, non-obviousness, utility |
| **Claims Strategist** | Drafts patent claims with fallback positions |
| **IP Strategy Advisor** | Advises on patent vs trade secret, timing, costs |
| **Patent Drafter** | Writes complete patent applications |

---

## Output Formats

### Pa