Patent claim
The legally binding sentence in a patent that defines the scope of protection.
A patent claim is the legally binding sentence in a patent that defines the scope of protection. The claims, found at the end of the patent document, determine exactly what the patent protects and what would constitute infringement. Independent claims stand on their own and define the broadest scope; dependent claims add further limitations and provide fallback positions if the independent claim is challenged. Each claim must be supported by the description and drawings of the patent. Reading claims correctly is the foundation of any infringement, validity, or freedom-to-operate analysis — and the practical basis for explaining what a patent actually covers inside an organization.