• When the claim language literally reads on the accused device or process.

• All elements of the claim must be (identically) present in the accused device.

• Additional elements in the accused device are (generally) not relevant to infringement.

• The scope of a patent is determined by its claims.

• The goal of the practitioner is to secure the broadest possible claims coverage. This is accomplished by drafting patent claims with the fewest possible limitations.

• Each limitation in a patent claim is a potential avenue to claim circumvention. The greater the number of limitations in a patent claim, the greater the probability that the subject invention can be substantially copied or imitated, while one claim limitation is omitted.

• If each and every limitation of a claim is found in an accused device or process, the claim is said to read on that device or process and is infringed thereby.

• If a single limitation is missing from the accused structure, there is no infringement (this requirement is known as the all elements rule).

• However, the presence of additional features in the accused structure does not negate infringement.