What is the main difference between design patent applications and utility patent applications regarding claims?
The main difference is that a design patent application may only have a single claim, while a utility patent application can contain multiple claims. As stated in the MPEP:
“Unlike a utility patent application, which can contain plural claims directed to plural inventions, a design patent application may only have a single claim.”
This limitation on claims in design patents means that multiple embodiments can only be included if they are considered patentably indistinct.
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