K. Intellectual Property

Congress shall establish and update the laws governing intellectual property within the bounds of this Charter. The lengths of intellectual property rights are established here. Copyright shall last for the life of the author plus fifty (50) years, regardless of transfer of ownership during that period. If a corporation establishes original copyright, the term shall be for one hundred twenty (120) years. Patents shall extend for twenty years from the filing date, except for medical and pharmaceutial patents which shall extend for ten (10) years from the date the product or procedure is first offered for commercial sale in the United States. Trademarks exist for ten years from the date of registration, renewable indefinitely.

Patents and Copyrights may only extend to the original work. Refinements may be separately registered, but the term of the original work remains unchanged.