The requirement that the claims must be clear applies to individual claims and also to the claims as a whole. The clarity of the claims is of the utmost importance in view of their function in defining the matter for which protection is sought. Therefore, the meaning of the terms of a claim should, as far as possible, be clear for the person skilled in the art from the wording of the claim alone (see also III, 4.2). In view of the differences in the scope of protection which may be attached to the various categories of claims, the examiner should ensure that the wording of a claim leaves no doubt as to its category.