Guide · Agent skill
How to use the fto-triage agent skill for patent first looks
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The fto-triage skill is an agent skill that gives Claude Code or a compatible agent a structured first look at whether existing patents might block a product, process or feature. It is a triage, not a freedom-to-operate opinion. This guide explains what the skill makes the agent do, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what it cannot tell you, so you can use it as research to take to patent counsel.
Freedom-to-Operate Patent Triageanthropics/claude-for-legal · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the fto-triage ZIP from this skill's page on the directory.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or the project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
- 4Configure your practice profile. Run /ip-legal:cold-start-interview, or reply provisional to run with generic defaults.
- 5Describe the product. Make a request naming the product, process or feature and the jurisdictions.
- 6Answer intake questions. Respond to the batched questions about technical detail and known patents.
- 7Review the memo. Check the claim-chart first pass, open questions and next steps, then take them to patent counsel.
What an agent skill is and what fto-triage makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder of instructions (here, a SKILL.md file) that an agent such as Claude Code loads when a request matches the skill's description. The skill tells the agent how to carry out a specific task.
When you ask whether a product, process or feature might be blocked by existing patents, fto-triage has the agent gather facts about the product, identify the 2 to 5 most plausible patents, and build a rough element-by-element comparison of each patent's independent claims against your product. It then lists open questions and next steps and writes a memo.
- Gathers intake facts: the product or process, technical detail, jurisdictions, known patents and timing.
- Runs a preliminary patent search only if a patent-search connector is set up (for example Solve Intelligence or another patent-research MCP). Otherwise it uses only the patents you supply.
- Builds a claim-chart first pass with a literal read first, flagging doctrine-of-equivalents and indirect or divided infringement separately.
- Lists open questions a real FTO study would resolve, such as enforceability, prosecution history, IPR outcomes, license availability and the assignee's enforcement history.
- Ends with recommended next steps and a willfulness note.
Install the fto-triage skill
Download the ZIP from the skill's page on this directory and unzip it. The skill is a folder containing SKILL.md. You can place it in one of two locations depending on how you want to use it.
For a personal install, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into the project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Set up the requirements
The skill needs Claude Code or a compatible agent with the claude-for-legal ip-legal plugin installed. It also expects a practice profile at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ip-legal/CLAUDE.md. If that file is not configured, the skill will offer a choice: run the cold-start interview, or reply "provisional" to run against generic defaults. Provisional output is tagged [PROVISIONAL].
A patent-research connector such as Solve Intelligence is optional. Without one, you must supply the patents to examine.
- Claude Code or compatible agent with the ip-legal plugin installed
- Practice profile at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ip-legal/CLAUDE.md, or accept provisional mode
- Optional: Solve Intelligence or another patent-research MCP for automated searching
/ip-legal:cold-start-interviewTrigger the skill with a natural request
You can invoke the skill with the slash command and a description, or with a plain request. The skill's description covers requests such as asking whether anything stops a launch, or wanting a claim-chart first pass against the most plausible patents before counsel review.
Include the product or feature, and the jurisdictions if you know them. If you give only the subject, the skill will ask intake questions in one batch. The jurisdiction default is the US if you do not specify.
- Ask: whether any patents might block the launch of a specific feature.
- Ask: for a claim-chart first pass against likely patents before counsel review.
- Give the subject and let the skill ask the intake questions.
/ip-legal:fto-triage "an on-device speech recognition model for consumer wearables, US launch first"Read the output correctly
Every output opens with a statement that this is not a freedom-to-operate opinion. A "no obvious blocking patents" result means the triage did not find one. It does not mean the product is clear to launch. The skill never concludes that a product is clear.
Treat the list of patents and the claim comparisons as a draft for patent counsel to narrow and check. Counsel makes the legal judgment.
- Do not read a clean result as clearance.
- Do not share the surfaced patents outside privileged channels.
Safety notes: scripts and network
According to the skill's listing, it does not run scripts. It does use the network, which matters if you connect a patent-research service for searching. Review what connectors you enable before running a search on confidential product details.
Patent FTO matters are often marked for clean-team or heightened confidentiality. The skill asks you to respect the matter's confidentiality marking.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: yes
- Confidentiality: follow the matter's marking and keep discussion of specific patents in privileged channels
Tips for a more useful triage
Give the most technical detail you can: architecture diagrams, specs or a public product page. The skill notes that more detail makes the triage more real.
Supply patents you already know about. Without a connector, the skill works only from what you provide.
Name every jurisdiction where the product will be made, used, sold, offered, or imported, since each is treated separately.
- Share specs and diagrams during intake.
- List known competitor patents up front.
- Name all relevant jurisdictions.
What people use it for
- An engineering team asks whether a new on-device feature might be blocked by existing patents and wants a list to hand to counsel before a launch decision.
- An in-house patent analyst wants a structured first draft of a claim-chart review to refine.
- A non-lawyer product manager gathers research notes on a feature to take to counsel.
- A team reviews a competitor's patent portfolio by supplying the patents it already knows about.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the fto-triage skill?
Download the ZIP from this skill's page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does fto-triage give a freedom-to-operate opinion?
No. The skill states that it is not an FTO opinion. A formal opinion requires a comprehensive search, full claim construction and analysis by registered patent counsel. The triage is a first look only.
Can fto-triage tell me my product is clear to launch?
No. The skill is designed never to conclude a product is clear to launch. A no obvious blocking patents result only means the triage did not find a blocker.
What do I need to run fto-triage?
You need Claude Code or a compatible agent with the claude-for-legal ip-legal plugin installed, and a practice profile at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ip-legal/CLAUDE.md or provisional mode. A patent-research connector such as Solve Intelligence is optional.
Does the skill search patents automatically?
Only if a patent-search connector, such as Solve Intelligence or another patent-research MCP, is set up. Otherwise, the skill proceeds with the patents you supply and says so in the output.
Does fto-triage run scripts or use the network?
According to its listing, it runs no scripts and uses the network. Review your connectors before searching confidential product details.
Is fto-triage a good alternative to hiring patent counsel?
No. The skill is built to produce research notes for counsel, not a final answer. Use it to prepare for counsel, and rely on a registered patent attorney or agent for the decision.
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Our verdict
Use fto-triage if you are an engineer, product team member or in-house patent staff who needs a structured rough list of plausible patents and a draft claim comparison before talking to counsel. Pick something else, or go straight to registered patent counsel, if you need a clearance decision, a legal opinion to launch, or a thorough patent search.
Download the skill