Claim(s)

The part of a patent document which defines, in legal terms, the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention and for which protection (and monopoly) is sought or granted. Each claim is a single sentence in a legalistic form that defines an invention and its unique technical features. Claims must be clear and concise and fully supported by the description.

Most patent documents, including international applications, must contain at least one claim. Claims are usually located at the end of a patent document, after the detailed description, and before any drawings or Search Report. In electronic patent documents such as international applications (in PDF format) on the PATENTSCOPE® Search Service, claims are easily located by clicking the "Claims" bookmark.