The updated patent claim count data through 2024 reveals a continuing trend toward standardization in claim counts, with both the median and mean hovering around 16-17 claims per patent. The perhaps the most striking feature of this longitudinal data is the dramatic reduction in variance – from a standard deviation of about 15 claims in the mid-2000s to just about 7 claims today. This compression suggests that patent drafting has become increasingly standardized, likely driven by USPTO fee structures that discourage exceeding 20 claims and the professionalization of patent prosecution practice that pushes up on the claim count. Particularly notable is the steady rise in the median claim count from 7 claims in the 1970s-80s to today’s 17 claims, while the mean has shown more modest growth over the past decade — and a drop from the highs in the early 2000s where many patentees were seeking jumbo patents with hundreds of claims.
Read more here: