Patent claims are not a feature list — how to stop writing them like one
2026-07-11
← Back to BlogI have read a lot of first drafts of patent claims over the years, and the most common mistake is treating claims like a features document. The claim says what the invention includes, in detail, in order, like a shopping list of components. That feels productive because you are being thorough. But a feature list gives competitors a recipe to work around. If you list five components and they can replace one, they are outside your claim. A good claim defines a boundary. It says what must be present for something to infringe, and it leaves out everything that is optional. The fewer elements in your independent claim, the broader the protection. Broad is not the same as vague. Broad means you described the invention at the right level of abstraction — high enough that competitors cannot easily design around it, low enough that the examiner will not reject it for lacking specificity. Finding that level takes practice, but the first step is recognizing that your current draft is probably a feature list in disguise.