Guidelines for Examination:PART C: CHAPTER III CLAIMS, 1. General

Guidelines for Examination
PART C
CHAPTER III CLAIMS
1. General

E / D / F


PART C
CHAPTER III CLAIMS

2. Form and content of claims

General

The application must contain "one or more claims".

Art. 78(1)(c)

These must:

Art. 84

(i)	"define the matter for which protection is sought";

(ii)	"be clear and concise"; and

(iii)

"be supported by the description".

Since the extent of the protection conferred by a European patent or application is determined by the terms of the claims (interpreted with the help of the description and the drawings), clarity of claim is of the utmost importance (see also III, 4).

Art. 69(1)