Patent Intelligence · Claim Evolution
Are patents getting broader or narrower?
The number of claims in a patent is a rough proxy for how broadly the inventor tried to protect their invention. More claims = wider protection. How has this changed since 2010? Which domains are writing broader IP today than they were a decade ago?
Global avg claims
25.7
2010–2014 avg
29.5 claims
2020–2024 avg
24.3 claims (-17.5%)
Overall direction
narrowing
Average Claims Per Patent by Grant Year
↓ Narrowing (-17.5%)Showing avg claims (purple), P75 (light bar). More claims = broader filing strategy.
26
2010
38
2011
30
2012
32
2013
24
2014
23
2015
23
2016
25
2017
23
2018
27
2019
21
2020
24
2021
30
2022
25
2023
22
2024
Year-by-Year Claim Statistics
| Year | Avg | Median | P75 | Broad (21+) | Narrow (≤5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 22.2 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 0 |
| 2023 | 25.4 | 23 | 28 | 25 | 0 |
| 2022 | 29.9 | 23 | 29 | 14 | 1 |
| 2021 | 24.5 | 22 | 26 | 12 | 1 |
| 2020 | 21.4 | 22 | 24 | 17 | 1 |
| 2019 | 27.0 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 1 |
| 2018 | 23.0 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 1 |
| 2017 | 24.8 | 22 | 30 | 20 | 2 |
| 2016 | 23.1 | 22 | 25 | 15 | 1 |
| 2015 | 23.0 | 22 | 27 | 13 | 0 |
| 2014 | 23.6 | 23 | 29 | 16 | 1 |
| 2013 | 32.3 | 27 | 34 | 21 | 0 |
| 2012 | 29.9 | 25 | 31 | 14 | 1 |
| 2011 | 38.1 | 30 | 44 | 11 | 0 |
| 2010 | 26.3 | 24 | 38 | 10 | 1 |
Claim Evolution by Domain
Three-period averages (early 2010–14, mid 2015–19, recent 2020–24) with trend direction.
Semiconductors
34.3
2010–14
24.6
2015–19
33.3
2020–24
Automotive
—
2010–14
—
2015–19
28.1
2020–24
Consumer Electronics
32.7
2010–14
25.8
2015–19
26.4
2020–24
Telecommunications
34.5
2010–14
23.7
2015–19
26.4
2020–24
Software
33.7
2010–14
24.9
2015–19
26.1
2020–24
AI & Machine Learning
23.9
2010–14
25.1
2015–19
22.7
2020–24
finance
—
2010–14
27.3
2015–19
22.3
2020–24
Mechanical Engineering
—
2010–14
25.7
2015–19
20.8
2020–24
Pharmaceuticals
28.3
2010–14
18.8
2015–19
20.3
2020–24
aerospace
—
2010–14
—
2015–19
20.0
2020–24
Biotechnology
28.3
2010–14
21.0
2015–19
20.0
2020–24
E-Commerce
31.0
2010–14
21.7
2015–19
18.7
2020–24
materials
—
2010–14
—
2015–19
16.7
2020–24
What claim count measures
Each claim in a patent defines a distinct scope of protection. More claims = more chances to catch infringers (different claim types cover different embodiments), but also more prosecution cost and more opportunity for the USPTO to invalidate individual claims. High claim counts are an aggressive protection strategy.
Why broadening ≠ bad
Broader filings (more claims) often indicate that inventors and their attorneys are getting more sophisticated at capturing every dimension of an invention. They may also reflect the trend toward continuation patent families — filing multiple continuations with different claim sets to build a defensive moat.
Domain variation explained
Pharmaceutical patents tend to have more claims because each formulation variant, dosage form, and method of treatment can get its own claim. Software patents are constrained by Alice doctrine, which invalidates abstract software claims, leading to tighter average counts. Biotech sits in between.