Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Definition: Undue-breadth rejection is a finding by a patent examiner that a patent claim is too broad and seeks a patent monopoly on more than the invention. This means that the claim is not specific enough and includes other possible ways of accomplishing a function. For example, a chemical claim is more likely to be rejected for undue breadth than a claim on a machine because future discoveries are less predictable.
Examples:
The examples illustrate how undue-breadth rejection can occur when a patent claim is too broad and seeks to cover more than the invention. This can happen when the claim is not specific enough and includes other possible variations or ways of accomplishing a function. Patent examiners look for specific and clear claims that do not seek to monopolize more than the invention.