Analyze intellectual property rights across patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Use this skill when the user needs to understand IP protection options, evaluate whether their work is protectable, assess infringement risk, or design an IP strategy — even if they say 'can I patent this', 'someone copied our design', 'how do we protect our brand name', or 'what IP do we have'.
IP law protects creations of the mind through four main mechanisms: patents (inventions), trademarks (brand identifiers), copyrights (creative works), and trade secrets (confidential business information). Each has different requirements, scope, duration, and costs.
IRON LAW: Match the Protection to the Asset
A brand name is protected by TRADEMARK, not copyright.
Software source code is protected by COPYRIGHT, not patent (usually).
A manufacturing process is protected by PATENT or TRADE SECRET.
Using the wrong mechanism leaves the asset unprotected.
| Type | Protects | Requirements | Duration | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patent |
| Novel, non-obvious, useful inventions |
| Must be new, inventive, industrially applicable |
| 20 years from filing |
| Required (申請制) |
| Trademark | Brand names, logos, slogans that identify source | Must be distinctive (not generic/descriptive) | 10 years, renewable indefinitely | Required for full protection |
| Copyright | Original creative works (text, code, art, music) | Must be original expression (not ideas or facts) | Life + 50 years (Taiwan) | Automatic (no registration needed) |
| Trade Secret | Confidential business information with economic value | Must be secret, have value from secrecy, reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy | Indefinite (as long as secret is kept) | No registration — protect through NDAs and access controls |
| Factor | Patent | Trade Secret |
|---|---|---|
| Can competitors reverse-engineer it? | Yes → Patent | No → Trade Secret may be better |
| Is independent discovery likely? | Yes → Patent (blocks them) | No → Trade Secret may suffice |
| How long does the advantage last? | < 20 years → Patent | > 20 years → Trade Secret |
| Can you detect infringement? | Yes → Patent is enforceable | No → Patent is hard to enforce |
| Example | Pharmaceutical compound | Coca-Cola recipe |
# IP Analysis: {Company/Product}
## IP Asset Inventory
| Asset | Type | Current Protection | Gap | Priority |
|-------|------|-------------------|-----|----------|
| {asset} | Patent/TM/Copyright/TS | {status} | {what's missing} | H/M/L |
## Recommendations
1. {asset}: {recommended action} — {rationale}
## Risk Assessment
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|--------|-----------|
| {IP risk} | H/M/L | H/M/L | {action} |
Scenario: IP audit for a Taiwanese SaaS startup
| Asset | Type | Protection | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand name "CloudPOS" | Trademark | Not registered | 🔴 Register with TIPO immediately |
| POS algorithm for demand forecasting | Trade Secret or Patent | None | 🔴 Decide patent vs trade secret, implement NDAs |
| Source code | Copyright | Automatic ✓ | 🟡 Ensure employment contracts assign IP to company |
| Customer data processing method | Trade Secret | No access controls | 🔴 Implement access controls + NDA with employees |
Key recommendation: File trademark first (fast, cheap, high risk of name-squatting). Patent decision can wait until product-market fit ✓
references/tipo-procedures.md