---
name: intellectual-property
description: Agent templates governing the creation, licensing, and protection of IP assets.
jurisdictions: [USA, Canada, EU]
---

# Intellectual Property (IP) Templates

These templates manage the ownership, licensing, and structured sharing of non-physical assets. Ensure local IP registry guidelines are followed to secure these rights.

## Official References
- **USA:** [USPTO](https://www.uspto.gov/) | Copyright Office.
- **Canada:** [CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office)](https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canadian-intellectual-property-office/en)
- **EU (Granular):** [EUIPO](https://euipo.europa.eu/) | [N-Lex IP Laws](https://n-lex.europa.eu/)

## Contract Types & Nuances

| Contract Type | USA Context | Canada Context | EU Context |
|---------------|-------------|----------------|------------|
| **Licensing Agreements** | Highly flexible. Can dictate exact geographic, temporal, and market restrictions for patents and trademarks. | Similar to US. Moral rights must be considered for copyrighted material. | Strongly policed by EU competition law (antitrust). Exclusive licenses cannot usually block parallel imports across EU member borders (Single Market). |
| **Franchise Agreements** | Heavily regulated at both federal (FTC) and state levels. Requires a bulky Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). | Provincially regulated (strict disclosure laws exist in BC, AB, ON, NB, MB, PEI). | Regulated heavily down to the specific member state level. Strict disclosure requirements (e.g., Loi Doubin in France). |
| **Software Development Agreements** | The "Work Made for Hire" doctrine explicitly gives copyright to the paying entity if handled correctly. | The author holds raw copyright unless an explicit, written assignment is signed. Moral rights must be waived. | In some states (e.g., France, Germany), complete transfer of copyright is impossible; only exclusive usage licenses can be granted. In Czechia, authors have "personal rights" (osobnostní práva). |

## Agent Instructions
When writing an IP contract:
1. Identify the exact asset (Patent, Trademark, Copyright, Trade Secret).
2. For Software Development: Overcompensate for EU and Canadian rules by inserting explicit assignment *and* maximum available usage/licensing grants.
3. For EU-wide trademark protection, refer users to the **EUIPO**. For national protection, refer to the local IP office.
