I. Lengthy, Narrow Patent Claims Are Often Worthless.

Typically, the less detail in a claim, the broader its scope and the more difficult for a competitor to develop a costeffective, non-infringing alternative. And typically, the more detail in a claim, the narrower its scope and the easier it is to design around. “Detail” refers to the number of structural limitations or method steps recited in a claim. Double check if a claim is a page or more in length as submitted to the USPTO, because it may be worthless.