Rules of Patent Drafting: Guidelines from Federal Circuit Case Law presents a unique approach to mastering the art of patent drafting. Author Joseph Root distills Federal Circuit jurisprudence into a set of rules, each embodying the essence of requirements for patent validity in a given area. One cannot employ these rules by rote, but understanding and applying their underlying principles will lead to bulletproof patents. Earlier editions gained widespread praise from reviewers and bloggers.

This edition updates previous text in the crucial areas of patent eligibility, definiteness, and inequitable conduct. Recent changes in those fields are placed in the context of previous decisions, and drafting advice has been modified to produce successful results. Where one cannot have much confidence in predicting future directions, drafters are directed toward a conservative approach most likely to achieve desired coverage. Drafters need guidance in drafting the cases in front of them today, and this work maintains a steady focus on the practical issue of drafting patent applications in the face of a confusing environment.