CHAPTER 2 Outline

• Jurisdiction: United States

CHAPTER 2

Patent Claims

§2.01 Introduction

[A] Statutory Basis: 35 U.S.C. §112(b)

[B] The Paramount Role of Patent Claims

[C] Definition of a Patent Claim

[D] Public Notice Function

[E] Peripheral Versus Central Claiming

[F] Fundamentals of Patent Claim Construction

[1] "Own Lexicographer" Rule

[2] Default Rule: "Ordinary and Customary" Meaning

[3] Claim Interpretation in the USPTO: "Broadest Reasonable Construction" Rule

§2.02 Components of Patent Claims

[A] Preamble

[1] Introduction

[2] Preamble Language as Claim Limiting

[B] Transition

[1] "Comprising"

[2] "Consisting of"

[3] "Consisting Essentially of"

[4] Other Transition Terminology

[C] Body

§2.03 Dependent Patent Claims

[A] Statutory Basis: 35 U.S.C. §§112(c)-(e)

[B] Claim Groupings

[C] Multiple Dependent Claims

[D] Claim Differentiation Principle

§2.04 Claim Definiteness Requirement

[A] Statutory Basis: 35 U.S.C. §112(b)

[B] Perspective for Determining Claim Definiteness

[C] Definiteness Standard: Nautilus v. Biosig (U.S. 2014)

[D] Representative Examples of

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