Hoyt A. Stearns Jr. wrote:
As I understand it, in the US anyway, the "Claims" are the important part of a patent. The ancillary text doesn't count.
Yes, that is what I was told. A "claim" is the correct technical term for what I called "the main task" the gadget is intended for.
I believe it is okay to have mistakes in the ancillary text as long as they are mistakes made in good faith, I guess you would call it. In other words, as long as the inventor sincerely believed the assertions were true, and -- I suppose -- as long as the mistakes do not appear to mislead someone or make it hard to replicate.
I don't think these mistakes count, but on the other hand I'll bet they don't help, either.
- Jed
