What is the Index of Claims and how should it be maintained?

The Index of Claims is a tool used in patent examination to track the status and history of claims. MPEP 707.07(i) instructs:

The Index of Claims should be kept up to date as set forth in MPEP § 719.04.

This means that patent examiners should regularly update the Index of Claims to reflect any changes in claim status or amendments. For detailed instructions on maintaining the Index of Claims, examiners and interested parties should refer to MPEP 719.04.

To learn more:

• Index of Claims
• claim status tracking
• patent examination