What are the guidelines for claim indentation in patent applications?

Proper claim indentation is important for clarity and readability in patent applications. The MPEP 608.01(m) provides specific guidelines:

• Each claim should start with a capital letter and end with a period.
• Steps or elements within a claim should be separated by line indentation.
• There should be only one sentence per claim, but elements may be set forth in separate paragraphs.

The MPEP states:

‘Where a claim sets forth a plurality of elements or steps, each element or step of the claim should be separated by a line indentation, 37 CFR 1.75(i).’

Proper indentation helps examiners and others understand the structure and scope of the claimed invention more easily.

To learn more:

• claim indentation
• patent application formatting
• MPEP guidelines