World 1 · IP Explorer · Lesson 04
Seven purposes: use, publish, acquire, license, collaborate, invest, commercialise
What you are about to do decides what you need to check. The seven purposes are how LTM IP Check-In asks that question.
- 4 min
- Jurisdictions: International / treaty
- Last reviewed: 18 October 2026
Draft — awaiting editorial review
Educational content, not legal advice. Lessons are drafts awaiting editorial review.
You will learn to
- Name the seven purposes for checking before acting.
- State the key question behind each purpose.
- Choose the right purpose for a real situation.
The purpose decides the question
The same asset can call for very different checks. Before using it, you ask: am I allowed to? Before buying it, you ask: does the seller really own it and have the right to sell? Starting from the purpose keeps you from checking what does not matter and missing what does.
The seven purposes
Use — may I use this asset, and to what extent? Publish — may I make it public, here and in this form? Acquire — does the seller have clear title and the right to transfer it? License — what does the licence cover, where, and for how long? Collaborate — who will own what we create together? Invest — do the IP assets exist, belong to the company and have protection? Commercialise — am I free to exploit it in my target market?
A check is a signal, not a conclusion
A preliminary check tells you what was searched, what is missing and what to ask an adviser. It is not a legal opinion and does not guarantee that you are free to act.
Try a scenario
A fund is about to invest in an edtech startup with its own brand and software platform.
Check your understanding
Pass mark: 80% — for this lesson that means every question.
Take away
Before any IP decision, name your purpose first. The right question follows from it.
Apply it to your IP
Nothing runs or is saved on its own. Each option only opens a tool when you choose it.
- Run a Fast IP Check-In for “Use”Opens LTM IP Check-In with the purpose preselected. You still decide what to enter.
- Run a Fast IP Check-In for “Publish”Opens LTM IP Check-In with the purpose preselected. You still decide what to enter.
- Run a Fast IP Check-In for “Acquire”Opens LTM IP Check-In with the purpose preselected. You still decide what to enter.
- Run a Fast IP Check-In for “License”Opens LTM IP Check-In with the purpose preselected. You still decide what to enter.
- Run a Fast IP Check-In for “Collaborate”Opens LTM IP Check-In with the purpose preselected. You still decide what to enter.
- Run a Fast IP Check-In for “Invest”Opens LTM IP Check-In with the purpose preselected. You still decide what to enter.
- Run a Fast IP Check-In for “Commercialise”Opens LTM IP Check-In with the purpose preselected. You still decide what to enter.
- Book a free 30-minute consultationOpens LTM's Google Calendar booking page in a new tab.(opens in a new tab)
What this lesson cannot tell you
The seven purposes are LTM IP Check-In's framework, not a legal classification. A real transaction can involve several of them.