| name | ecommerce.patent-legal-status |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| description | Check patent legal status, validity, expiration, and status events. Triggers: expired patent, still in force, enforceable, maintenance fees, when does it expire. Use for status/validity, not claim scope or image-based risk.
|
| allowed-tools | ["Bash","Read","Write"] |
| metadata | {"requires":{"apis":["nexscope"]}} |
IMPORTANT — Working Directory: All scripts in this skill MUST be executed with the working directory set to the absolute path of the directory containing this SKILL.md file (the skill root directory). Always cd into this directory before running any command. Do NOT use relative paths or shell shortcuts like ~ in paths, as they may not be resolved by the execution environment.
Patent Legal Status v1.0.0
Core Question
Is this patent still active, enforceable, expired, or affected by legal events?
Is this patent still valid?
Query patent legal status (valid/invalid/expired).
Clarify or Infer Before Querying
- If patent ID/publication number is missing, ask for it first.
- Clarify target country/authority if the patent has family members.
- Do not assume a patent is enforceable just because a related family member exists.
Differs From / Not Applicable
- Use patent-claim-analyzer for what the patent covers.
- Use patent-family-explorer for country/family coverage.
- Use patent-risk-checker for product-level risk screening.
- Use this skill for expiration, enforceability, maintenance, and legal events.
Workflow
- Confirm patent/publication ID and authority/region.
- Fetch current legal status and event history.
- Identify active, expired, abandoned, pending, or uncertain status.
- Return enforceability caveats and next verification steps.
Usage
python3 scripts/patent_legal_status.py '{"patentNumber": "US11234567B2"}'
python3 scripts/patent_legal_status.py '{"patentNumber": "US11234567B2,CN115000000A,EP4000000A1"}'
python3 scripts/patent_legal_status.py '{"patentId": "abc123,def456"}'
⚠️ MANDATORY: Charts & Display Rules
- Generate charts by default for full analytical reports — use
--chart with an output directory unless the user asks for a quick text-only result or chart data is unavailable.
- Send generated charts to the user — when charts are created, share all chart PNGs immediately.
- All chart styling is driven by
ecommerce_chart_helpers.py which reads from chart_style.json (derived from references/display-rules.md). Do NOT hardcode colors in scripts.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|
patentNumber | string | Yes* | Publication number(s), comma-separated |
patentId | string | Yes* | Patent ID(s), comma-separated |
*One of patentNumber or patentId is required.
Legal Status Types
Simple Status (simpleLegalStatus)
| Status | Meaning | Icon |
|---|
| Active | Patent is valid and enforceable | ✅ |
| Inactive | Patent is no longer valid | ❌ |
| Pending | Application under examination | ⏳ |
| Undetermined | Status not confirmed | ❓ |
| PCT designated period | PCT application in designated period | 🌐 |
| PCT designated expiration | PCT designated period expired | 🌐 |
Detailed Status (legalStatus)
| Status | Description |
|---|
| Published | Application published |
| Examining | Under substantive examination |
| Granted | Patent rights granted |
| Expired | Term expired |
| Abandoned | Voluntarily or deemed abandoned |
| Withdrawn | Application withdrawn |
| Rejected | Application rejected |
| Revoked | Patent revoked |
| Non-Payment | Lapsed due to non-payment |
| Ceased | Rights terminated |
Legal Events (eventStatus)
| Event | Risk Level | Description |
|---|
| Litigation | 🔴 HIGH | Patent involved in lawsuit |
| Transfer | 🟡 MEDIUM | Ownership changed |
| License | 🟡 MEDIUM | Licensed to third party |
| Pledge | 🟡 MEDIUM | Used as collateral |
| Opposition | 🟠 | Third party opposition filed |
| Re-examination | 🟠 | Under re-examination |
| Invalid-procedure | 🟠 | Invalidation proceeding |
Output Structure
The output will be a structured markdown report, following this format:
Patent Legal Status Report: [Patent Number(s) or ID(s)]
1. Executive Summary
- Query Date: [query_date]
- Total Patents Queried: [total_queried]
- Active Patents: [summary.active]
- Inactive Patents: [summary.inactive]
- Pending Patents: [summary.pending]
- Patents with Litigation Risk: [summary.with_litigation]
- Core Insight: This report provides a quick overview of the legal validity and potential risks of the queried patents.
2. Detailed Patent Status (Per Patent)
(For each queried patent, its detailed status is displayed)
Patent Number: [patent_number]
- Simple Status: [simple_status] [status_icon]
- Is Valid: [is_valid]
- Detailed Status Events:
- [detailed_status[0]]
- ... (List all detailed status events)
- Legal Events:
- [legal_events[0].event] (Risk Level: [legal_events[0].risk_level], Description: [legal_events[0].description])
- ... (List all legal events)
- Has Risk Events: [has_risk_events]
- Status Date: [status_date]
3. Summary of Queried Patents
| Status | Count |
|---|
| Active | [summary.active] |
| Inactive | [summary.inactive] |
| Pending | [summary.pending] |
| With Litigation | [summary.with_litigation] |
4. Attached Visualizations
- Status Distribution (1_status_distribution.png)
- Risk Events (2_risk_events.png)
Quick Reference
| Question | Check |
|---|
| Can I sell this product? | simple_status = Active → ⚠️ Risk |
| Is the patent expired? | simple_status = Inactive |
| Is it being enforced? | legal_events contains |
| Who owns it now? | Use Bibliography API |
Common Use Cases
1. Before Sourcing
Check if competitor patents are still valid before copying designs.
2. Due Diligence
Verify patent status before business deals or investments.
3. FTO Analysis
Determine freedom to operate in a market.
4. Monitoring
Track status changes of patents you're watching.
Batch Query Example
python3 scripts/patent_legal_status.py '{"patentNumber": "USD900000S,USD901000S,USD902000S,USD903000S"}'
Charts Generated
| Chart | Description | File |
|---|
| Status Distribution | Patent status breakdown | 1_status_distribution.png |
| Risk Events | Upcoming expiry / lapse events | 2_risk_events.png |
Limitations
- Maximum 100 patents per query
- Some recent status changes may not be reflected immediately
- PCT applications show special status codes
- Status interpretation varies by jurisdiction
Data Sources
| Source | Endpoint | Data |
|---|
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/research/zhihuiya/legalStatus | Simple status, detailed status, legal events |
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/research/zhihuiya/simpleBibliography | Patent title, type, country |
Coverage: 170M+ patents from 150+ countries. Comprehensive litigation, transfer, license, and pledge event records included.
Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|
NEXSCOPE_PROXY_BASE | Yes | NexScope proxy base URL |
NEXSCOPE_API_KEY | Yes | NexScope proxy API key |
References
