Drafting Your Application
Learn to write a US patent application for the opponent who will one day read it, from required parts and claim wording to drawings, provisionals and the use of AI.
9 lessons · 36 min
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4 minWhat a complete patent application contains
Learn what earns a filing date, what makes an application complete, and what is only the preferred order.
4 minClaim only what you have taught
The wider your claim, the more your application must teach, so broaden only as far as your disclosure reaches.
4 minHow claim wording changes what you own
A claim carries legal consequences in every word, so learn what the standard words and formats do.
4 minWrite claims for the competitor and the courtroom
Draft against the design-around, claim so one actor infringes, and treat every amendment as a possible surrender.
4 minSoftware and AI claims must show the improvement
Describe how the technology itself gets better and claim the means, not just the result.
4 minUtility drawings follow exact rules and cannot be fixed later
Show every claimed feature on filing day, because later drawings cannot cure a thin disclosure.
4 minDesign patents protect appearance, and the drawing is the claim
A design patent covers how an article looks, so the views you file define what you get.
4 minA provisional secures only what it describes
Write a provisional as if your later claims must be found in it, because they must.
4 minAI can draft, but a human answers for every word
Using AI does not move any duty off the person who files, so read, verify and sign as if you wrote every line.
The Academy is general education, not legal advice, and reading it doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. Patent law and fees change, so check the linked sources and have a registered patent attorney or agent review your situation before you file. Obsidyan sells patent software, including AI drafting tools, so weigh what these lessons say about AI tools with that in mind.