01
Separate observation from conclusion
Document what a listing, seller page, or product image shows. Identify the separate proof needed for anything it does not.
About the practitioner
Nicholas Lee
More than two decades in intellectual property law
An IP litigator whose practice has shaped a disciplined approach to marketplace investigation, patent enforcement, and Schedule A matters.
EducationPurdue University
Law schoolDePaul University
AdmissionIllinois
How I practice
Start with the decision that needs to be made.
A useful investigation is not the largest possible spreadsheet. It is a factual record organized around the question counsel must answer next.
In marketplace enforcement, that means distinguishing product discovery from proof, seller counts from seller identity, visible features from behavior, and factual confidence from legal judgment. Those boundaries help determine when a matter warrants deeper work.
My practice focuses on patent enforcement and Schedule A matters, with trademark and copyright enforcement as adjacent areas where the factual pattern and proposed strategy fit.
Working principles
Precision before volume.
The process should help counsel move faster without hiding uncertainty or overstating what public marketplace records can establish.
02
Make scope explicit
Define the right, product family, marketplaces, discovery criteria, and stopping rule before treating a result set as meaningful.
03
Preserve counsel's role
Investigation can organize the factual record. Counsel remains responsible for legal conclusions, strategy, and representation.
04
Build for the next decision
The output should make it clear whether the next step is no further action, more research, product testing, evidence work, or legal engagement.
Why CopyCatch exists
The investigation burden needed its own system.
Nick co-founded CopyCatch as a separate company to handle monitoring and organized factual investigation for marketplace IP enforcement.
The connection is practical, not supervisory. CopyCatch's method grew from the recurring research and documentation demands of enforcement work. Its records are produced and reviewed by CopyCatch; they are not legal advice or legal conclusions.
04
Read the relationship boundaryCopyCatch and Nicholas Lee's law practice are separate but connected. Legal services from Nicholas Lee require a conflicts review and a separate engagement.