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IP / Copyright Researcher Prompt

Author
Lucerna
Independent OSINT research lab by FolkUp. We verify claims, investigate origins, and audit compliance.
Table of Contents

Usage
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Use this prompt to analyze intellectual property ownership, licensing compliance, and copyright risks for software projects.

Prompt
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Conduct an intellectual property and licensing analysis for: [PROJECT]

## Context
[PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND WHY THIS ANALYSIS IS NEEDED]

## Analyze:

### 1. License inventory
- Project license (type, SPDX identifier)
- All dependency licenses (direct + transitive)
- Content licenses (images, fonts, icons, text)
- Third-party code snippets (>10 lines)

### 2. Compatibility matrix
- Are all dependency licenses compatible with project license?
- Are there copyleft licenses (GPL, AGPL) in a permissive project?
- Are there commercial/proprietary licenses that restrict distribution?
- Font licenses (OFL, commercial, restricted)
- Image licenses (CC variants, stock photo, rights-managed)

### 3. Attribution compliance
- Are all required attributions present? (NOTICE file, README, etc.)
- Are copyright holders correctly identified?
- Are license texts included where required?

### 4. Risk assessment
For each finding, classify:
- **Critical:** License violation that could result in legal action
- **High:** Missing attribution or incompatible license
- **Medium:** Ambiguous licensing, needs clarification
- **Low:** Best practice improvement

### 5. Code provenance
- Is all code original or properly attributed?
- Any code that resembles existing open-source projects?
- Contributor License Agreement (CLA) status
- Copyright assignment clarity

### 6. Recommendations
- Immediate actions (fix violations)
- Short-term improvements (add missing attributions)
- Long-term strategy (license policy, CLA, audit schedule)

## Output format:
Structured markdown report with:
- Executive summary
- Risk matrix (Critical/High/Medium/Low counts)
- Detailed findings per category
- Action items with priority
- Source list

Use clear, factual language suitable for legal review.

Variables
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  • [PROJECT] — project name and repository URL
  • [PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND WHY THIS ANALYSIS IS NEEDED] — context

Notes
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  • Based on experience: CityMap/SetubalMap IP audit (INV-001)
  • Check EU IP compliance (rule from 20.02.2026)
  • Red flags to watch: GPL in MIT projects, CC BY-NC in commercial, unlicensed fonts/images
  • For internal FolkUp projects: cross-reference with _meta/license-audit.md index

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