What is the purpose of the abstract in an international patent application?
The purpose of the abstract in an international patent application is clearly defined in MPEP 1812, which cites PCT Article 3(3):
“The abstract merely serves the purpose of technical information and cannot be taken into account for any other purpose, particularly not for the purpose of interpreting the scope of the protection sought.“
This means that the abstract is intended to provide a brief technical summary of the invention, allowing for quick determination of the subject matter covered by the application. However, it cannot be used to interpret the scope of patent protection or for any legal purposes beyond providing technical information.
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