IPFLang - Domain-Specific Language for Intellectual Property Fee Calculations

Overview

IPFLang is a domain-specific language (DSL) and execution engine for defining intellectual property fee calculations with advanced features for currency handling, completeness verification, provenance tracking, and version management. It enables legal professionals and developers to define complex fee structures in human-readable format without hardcoding business logic.

Key Features

Currency-aware type system with compile-time validation (supports all 161 ISO 4217 currencies)
Static completeness verification to ensure all input combinations are covered
Monotonicity checking to verify fee schedules behave as expected
Provenance tracking with counterfactual analysis ("what-if" scenarios)
Version management with effective dates and regulatory references
Temporal operations for business days, deadlines, renewals, and late fees
Jurisdiction composition for code reuse across related fee schedules

Quick Start

Prerequisites

To run IPFLang, .NET 10 is required. .NET 10 is a cross-platform runtime that supports Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can download the SDK from the official .NET website.

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/vbocan/ipflang
cd ipflang/src

# Build the solution
dotnet build

# Run the CLI
dotnet run --project IPFLang.CLI -- --help

CLI Commands

`parse` - Parse and validate a script

Parses the IPFLang script and reports any syntax or type errors.

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- parse <FILE>

Options:

-h, --help - Show help information

Example:

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- parse examples/01_epo_filing.ipf

`run` - Execute a script

Executes the script with input values. By default, prompts interactively for each input.

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- run <FILE> [OPTIONS]

Options:

--inputs <FILE> - JSON file containing input values (skips interactive mode)
-p, --provenance - Show computation provenance (audit trail)
-c, --counterfactuals - Show counterfactual analysis (what-if scenarios)
-h, --help - Show help information

Examples:

# Interactive mode (default)
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- run examples/01_epo_filing.ipf

# With inputs from JSON file
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- run examples/01_epo_filing.ipf --inputs inputs.json

# Show computation audit trail
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- run examples/01_epo_filing.ipf --provenance

# Show what-if analysis
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- run examples/01_epo_filing.ipf --counterfactuals

`verify` - Run verification checks

Runs completeness and monotonicity verification on all fees with VERIFY directives.

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- verify <FILE>

Options:

-h, --help - Show help information

Example:

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- verify examples/05_verification.ipf

`info` - Display script information

Shows detailed information about a script including inputs, fees, groups, and version metadata.

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- info <FILE>

Options:

-h, --help - Show help information

Example:

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- info examples/01_epo_filing.ipf

`compose` - Compose multiple jurisdictions

Composes multiple IPFLang scripts with inheritance. Files are provided in order from root (parent) to leaf (child). Child jurisdictions inherit inputs and fees from parents and can add or override them.

dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose <FILES> [OPTIONS]

Options:

--inputs <FILE> - JSON file containing input values (skips interactive mode)
-p, --provenance - Show computation provenance (audit trail)
-a, --analysis - Show inheritance analysis (what is inherited vs. overridden)
-h, --help - Show help information

Examples:

# Compose EPO base with German national phase
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_de.ipf

# Compose EPO base with French national phase
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_fr.ipf

# Compose EPO base with Romanian national phase
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_ro.ipf

# Show inheritance analysis
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_de.ipf --analysis

# With provenance tracking
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_fr.ipf --provenance

Output (with --analysis):

Inheritance Analysis:

jurisdiction_epo_de:
  Inherited fees: FilingFee, SearchFee, ExaminationFee, ClaimsFee, PageFee, DesignationFee
  New fees: GermanValidationFee, GermanTranslationFee, GermanAgentFee, GermanPublicationFee
  Inherited inputs: ApplicationType, ApplicantType, ClaimCount, PageCount
  New inputs: NeedsTranslation, TranslationPages, UseGermanAgent, TranslationQuality
  Code reuse: 60.0%

Example DSL Script

# European Patent Office Filing Fee Calculator
VERSION '2024.1' EFFECTIVE 2024-01-15 DESCRIPTION 'EPO fees 2024'

# Define groups for UI organization
DEFINE GROUP General AS 'General Information' WITH WEIGHT 1
DEFINE GROUP Claims AS 'Claims Information' WITH WEIGHT 2

# Define inputs
DEFINE LIST EntityType AS 'Applicant type'
GROUP General
CHOICE LargeEntity AS 'Large entity'
CHOICE SmallEntity AS 'SME'
CHOICE MicroEntity AS 'Micro entity'
DEFAULT LargeEntity
ENDDEFINE

DEFINE NUMBER ClaimCount AS 'Number of claims'
GROUP Claims
BETWEEN 1 AND 500
DEFAULT 10
ENDDEFINE

# Compute fees with conditional logic
COMPUTE FEE FilingFee
CASE EntityType EQ LargeEntity AS
  YIELD 1500
ENDCASE
CASE EntityType EQ SmallEntity AS
  YIELD 750
ENDCASE
CASE EntityType EQ MicroEntity AS
  YIELD 375
ENDCASE
ENDCOMPUTE

COMPUTE FEE ExcessClaimsFee
LET ExcessClaims AS ClaimCount - 15
YIELD 250 * ExcessClaims IF ExcessClaims GT 0
ENDCOMPUTE

# Verification directives
VERIFY COMPLETE FEE FilingFee
VERIFY MONOTONIC FEE ExcessClaimsFee WITH RESPECT TO ClaimCount

RETURN TotalFees AS 'Total Filing Fees'

Running Tests

# Run all tests
dotnet test

# Run specific test project
dotnet test IPFLang.Engine.Tests

Documentation

Syntax Reference: Complete IPFLang syntax documentation
Examples: Sample fee schedule scripts demonstrating all features
Article: Academic paper describing the DSL design and mathematical foundations

Project Structure

src/
├── IPFLang.Engine/          # Core DSL parser and evaluator
│   ├── Analysis/            # Completeness & monotonicity checking
│   ├── Calculator/          # Fee computation engine
│   ├── Composition/         # Jurisdiction inheritance
│   ├── CurrencyConversion/  # Multi-currency support
│   ├── Evaluator/           # Expression evaluation
│   ├── Parser/              # DSL parsing
│   ├── Provenance/          # Audit trail & counterfactuals
│   ├── Temporal/            # Date/deadline calculations
│   ├── Types/               # Type system
│   ├── Validation/          # Input validation
│   └── Versioning/          # Version management
├── IPFLang.Engine.Tests/    # Unit tests
└── IPFLang.CLI/             # Command-line interface
examples/                    # Example DSL scripts
article/                     # Research paper and documentation
docs/                        # Documentation

Examples

The examples/ directory contains scripts demonstrating all IPFLang features:

Example	Description
`01_epo_filing.ipf`	EPO filing fees with VERSION, GROUPs, LIST inputs, CASE blocks
`02_currency_types.ipf`	Currency literals and type-safe multi-currency operations
`03_entity_discounts.ipf`	Complex discount logic based on entity type
`04_temporal_operations.ipf`	DATE inputs, renewal fees, temporal calculations
`05_verification.ipf`	VERIFY COMPLETE and VERIFY MONOTONIC directives
`06_multilevel_cases.ipf`	Nested conditions and complex decision trees
`07_multilist.ipf`	MULTILIST for multi-selection inputs (e.g., validation countries)
`08_optional_fees.ipf`	OPTIONAL keyword for fees that may or may not be charged
`09_versioning.ipf`	VERSION directive with effective dates and regulatory references
`10_uspto_complete.ipf`	Complete real-world USPTO fee calculator

Jurisdiction Composition Examples

The following examples demonstrate multi-jurisdiction composition with inheritance:

Example	Description
`jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf`	Base EPO fee schedule (parent jurisdiction)
`jurisdiction_epo_de.ipf`	German national phase (extends EPO base with translation/agent fees)
`jurisdiction_epo_fr.ipf`	French national phase (extends EPO base with French-specific fees)
`jurisdiction_epo_ro.ipf`	Romanian national phase (extends EPO base with OSIM fees, reduced rates for local applicants)

Usage:

# Compose EPO base with German national phase
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_de.ipf

# Compose EPO base with French national phase
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_fr.ipf

# Compose EPO base with Romanian national phase
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_ro.ipf

# Show what is inherited vs. overridden
dotnet run --project src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose examples/jurisdiction_epo_base.ipf examples/jurisdiction_epo_de.ipf --analysis

Production Jurisdictions

The jurisdictions/ directory contains 118 production-ready PCT national/regional phase fee schedules organized by patent office, along with 4 base fee schedules for regional patent systems:

Regional Bases

Base File	Regional System	Member States
`bases/base_ep.ipf`	European Patent Office (EP)	AL, AT, BA, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LI, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR
`bases/base_ea.ipf`	Eurasian Patent Organization (EA)	AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM
`bases/base_ap.ipf`	ARIPO (African Regional IP Organization) (AP)	BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, SC, SD, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW
`bases/base_oa.ipf`	OAPI (African Intellectual Property Organization) (OA)	BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG

Jurisdiction Files

All 118 jurisdictions are available as PCT-{CODE}.ipf files where {CODE} is the two-letter ISO country code. Each jurisdiction can be:

Run standalone (for jurisdictions without a base):

cd jurisdictions
dotnet run --project ../src/IPFLang.CLI -- run ./PCT-US.ipf

Composed with their regional base (for EP, EA, AP, OA members):

cd jurisdictions
# European Patent - Romania
dotnet run --project ../src/IPFLang.CLI -- run compose ./bases/base_ep.ipf ./PCT-RO.ipf

# Eurasian Patent - Russia  
dotnet run --project ../src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose ./bases/base_ea.ipf ./PCT-RU.ipf

# ARIPO - Kenya
dotnet run --project ../src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose ./bases/base_ap.ipf ./PCT-KE.ipf

Compose multiple jurisdictions for cost comparison:

cd jurisdictions
# Compare costs for Germany, France, and Romania
dotnet run --project ../src/IPFLang.CLI -- compose ./bases/base_ep.ipf ./PCT-DE.ipf ./PCT-FR.ipf ./PCT-RO.ipf

Each jurisdiction file includes metadata in its header showing:

Category (OfficialFees)
Currency (EUR, USD, etc.)
Phase (National Phase, Regional Phase)
Whether it inherits from a base
Usage example with correct command

Error Examples

The examples/errors/ directory contains scripts that intentionally fail to demonstrate the DSL's validation capabilities:

Example	Error Type	What It Demonstrates
`err_01_mixed_currency.ipf`	Type Error	Cross-currency arithmetic (`100<EUR> + 50<USD>`)
`err_02_incomplete_coverage.ipf`	Verification Failure	Missing CASE for input value (incomplete coverage)
`err_03_non_monotonic.ipf`	Verification Failure	Fee decreases as input increases (violates monotonicity)
`err_04_invalid_currency.ipf`	Parse Error	Invalid ISO 4217 currency code (`XXX`)
`err_05_undefined_variable.ipf`	Type Error	Reference to undefined variable
`err_06_missing_currency.ipf`	Parse Error	AMOUNT input without CURRENCY declaration

Citation

If you use IPFLang in your research, please cite:

@software{ipflang2025,
  title = {IPFLang: Domain-Specific Language for IP Fee Calculations},
  author = {Bocan, Valer},
  year = {2025},
  version = {1.0.0},
  url = {https://github.com/vbocan/ipflang},
  license = {GPL-3.0}
}

See CITATION.cff for structured citation metadata.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss proposed modifications.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Author

Valer Bocan, Ph.D., CSSLP

Support & Contact

Issues: Report bugs and request features via GitHub Issues
Discussions: Community support via GitHub Discussions
Email: valer.bocan@upt.ro

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 86 Commits
.claude		.claude
docs		docs
examples		examples
jurisdictions		jurisdictions
src		src
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
CITATION.cff		CITATION.cff
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md

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IPFLang - Domain-Specific Language for Intellectual Property Fee Calculations

Overview

Key Features

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Installation

CLI Commands

`parse` - Parse and validate a script

`run` - Execute a script

`verify` - Run verification checks

`info` - Display script information

`compose` - Compose multiple jurisdictions

Example DSL Script

Running Tests

Documentation

Project Structure

Examples

Jurisdiction Composition Examples

Production Jurisdictions

Regional Bases

Jurisdiction Files

Error Examples

Citation

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IPFLang - Domain-Specific Language for Intellectual Property Fee Calculations

Overview

Key Features

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Installation

CLI Commands

parse - Parse and validate a script

run - Execute a script

verify - Run verification checks

info - Display script information

compose - Compose multiple jurisdictions

Example DSL Script

Running Tests

Documentation

Project Structure

Examples

Jurisdiction Composition Examples

Production Jurisdictions

Regional Bases

Jurisdiction Files

Error Examples

Citation

Contributing

License

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Support & Contact

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`parse` - Parse and validate a script

`run` - Execute a script

`verify` - Run verification checks

`info` - Display script information

`compose` - Compose multiple jurisdictions

Packages