Individual skill

patent-prior-art

Runs a systematic prior-art search - feature decomposition into claim elements, CPC/IPC classification plus keyword vocabulary, patent databases AND non-patent literature, forward and backward citation walks - and maps results into claim charts with a novelty assessment and a documented search log. Use when someone asks "is my invention novel", "has anyone already patented this", "find prior art against this claim", or is deciding whether a filing or an invalidity argument is worth pursuing. This is research, not legal advice; filing and freedom-to-operate decisions require a patent attorney. Do NOT use for a general academic literature survey unrelated to patentability - use literature-review instead.

skills/patent-prior-art/SKILL.md

Read pinned source

Source commit 97a13607d669157a4a16d5ba79b77f208319f7b9

What was checked

Matches the observed repository HEAD: Yes
Scanner rules are current: No
Repository scan complete: No
Skill scan complete: Yes
Observed behavior: Not checked yet
Last checked: Nov 6, 2026

These are observations at the recorded commit, not a guarantee of safety. Review the source before running it.

Install this skill

Choose an agent in your Stack or copy a command below. Commands fetch the pinned commit and copy only this skill directory. Existing destinations are refused. Copying a command does not install anything.

An install command is unavailable: current rules, complete repository and skill scans, an eligible behavior level and a permitted license are required.

Repository context

Repository stars (not skill ratings): 24
Repository last updated: Oct 13, 2026
License: MIT

Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.

claude Repository topic
claude-skills Repository topic
skill-me Repository topic
research Derived category
legal Derived category

Files and excerpt

File metadata and permitted, redacted excerpts come from the recorded scan. Source links are pinned to that commit.

Browse files

SKILL.mdcore · 8,555 bytes

Read excerpt


# Patent Prior Art

Assess whether an invention is novel and non-obvious by finding everything that already discloses it. The costly failure this skill prevents is the false-clear search: keywords-only, English-only, patents-only searching that misses the conference paper or Japanese utility model that later kills the application - after the filing fees, or worse, during litigation. This is a search-and-map task, not a legal opinion.

## Inputs to collect

1. **The invention disclosure**: what it does, how it works, and what the inventor believes is new.
2. **The priority date** (or intended filing date) - everything published on or after it is irrelevant, and date discipline is absolute.
3. **The field and its jargon**: how practitioners, not just patent drafters, name these concepts.
4. **Known competitors and prior products** in the space - likely assignees to search.
5. **Search depth**: quick patentability screen (top databases, hours) vs thorough pre-filing search (all sources below, days). Default to thorough if the user will spend money on the outcome.

## Operating procedure