How to use the IP Portfolio Tracker agent skill (portfolio)

What the portfolio skill makes the agent do

The skill keeps a register file of your IP assets at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ip-legal/portfolio.yaml. Each asset records its type, jurisdiction, numbers, key dates, owner and status, along with computed next deadlines.

It has four working modes besides the default report: adding an asset, recording a filing or status change, and running a broader health check. The skill is explicit that its computed dates are reference only and must be checked against official registries or your IP management system before anything is filed or paid.

• Report: deadlines in the next 90 days by default, grouped as lapsed or in grace, due within the window, upcoming, agent-managed, or unknown
• Add: walks you through a new asset interactively, including type, jurisdiction, number, dates, owner and business owner
• Update: records a maintenance filing or fee payment, syncs with an IP management system, or changes an asset's status
• Audit: checks deadline hygiene, registration gaps, use-in-commerce questions on marks approaching section 8, owner inconsistencies, expiration horizon and unwatched marks

Install the portfolio skill from the ZIP

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. The skill's only file is SKILL.md. Place the folder in one of two locations depending on how you want it available.

For all your projects, unzip into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip into that project's .claude/skills/ folder. If you use the Claude apps instead of a terminal, you can upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

• Personal use across projects: ~/.claude/skills/
• One project only: the project's .claude/skills/ folder
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You can ask in plain language. The skill's description covers checking what is renewing, adding or updating an asset, recording a maintenance filing, and auditing the register for gaps, lapses and use-in-commerce questions. It also accepts handoffs from prosecution and clearance work.

The skill's documented slash form is /ip-legal:portfolio with optional flags. Use the flags when you want a specific mode.

• "What IP renewals are due in the next 90 days?"
• "Add our new US trademark registration to the portfolio."
• "Record that we paid the maintenance fee on the patent."
• "Audit the register for gaps and lapses."

Run a report with a custom window

Running the skill with no arguments gives you the 90-day report. Use --days to change the window. The source lists 30, 60, 90 and 180 as typical values. Every report opens with a work-product header and closes with a verification reminder.

• Urgency groups: 🔴 lapsed or grace, ⏰ due within window, 🟡 upcoming, 🌐 agent-managed, ❓ unknown
• An ❓ unknown or a 'no deadline soon' result deserves a second look before you rely on it

Know what the register and the rules cover

The skill has built-in maintenance rules for US trademarks, Madrid international trademarks, EUIPO trademarks, US utility and design patents, EPO and national patents, US copyright and domains. Rules for other jurisdictions are not calculated. You capture them in the register's custom_rules block, and the report marks those assets as agent-managed so you can confirm status with a local associate.

Examples of built-in rules from the source include section 8 declarations for US trademarks between the 5th and 6th anniversary of registration, combined section 8 and 9 renewal every 10 years, and US utility patent maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years from grant. The source notes that grace periods and fees change, so treat these as starting points to check, not final values.

• Foreign national patents are handed to a local associate rather than calculated
• Optional connection to an IP management system via MCP, such as Anaqua or Clarivate IPfolio, gives a fuller docket
• You can paste a docket or upload a spreadsheet as input instead

Safety notes: scripts and network

According to the skill's listing, it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It works from the register file and from what you paste or provide. It needs Claude Code or another SKILL.md-compatible agent, and a local portfolio.yaml, which the skill can create or you can create.

Connecting an IP management system is optional and depends on your own MCP setup. The listing does not describe that connection in detail, so check with your vendor and your IT or security team before connecting it.

• Runs scripts: no
• Uses network: no
• Optional MCP connection to an IP management system is separate from the skill itself

Tips for keeping the register reliable

The skill's main warning is that a docketed but wrong deadline is worse than no deadline, because it creates false confidence. Before filing or paying, confirm each date against the official record: USPTO TSDR or Patent Center, WIPO Madrid Monitor or Patentscope, EUIPO eSearch, UKIPO online records, or the relevant national registry.

If your company already uses an IP management system, treat its docket as the authority and use this skill to organise and surface that data. Run an audit periodically to catch owner inconsistencies and unwatched marks.

• Verify every computed date against the official registry before acting
• Use the audit mode to find gaps, lapses and owner mismatches
• Record filings with --update so the register reflects what was actually done
• Do not treat the register as the system of record unless it is synced with your IP management system