How should feature locations be formatted in a Sequence Listing XML?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

According to MPEP 2413, feature locations in a Sequence Listing XML must follow specific formatting rules:

• Use periods to separate numbers in a location (e.g., 1.5, 2.7)
• Use double greater-than signs (>>) to indicate “to” in a location range
• Use a caret (^) to indicate a position between residues

For example, MPEP 2413 states: “A location must not include spaces, for example 1..5 is correct, 1 . . 5 is not accepted.”

This precise formatting ensures consistency and machine-readability of the Sequence Listing XML file.