How does the language in patents compare with the language in scientific papers?
The scientific discipline, for the most part, places a premium on being specific when writing for peer-review or otherwise communicating with colleagues. When applying for a patent however, the goal is to claim ideas broadly, and to this end the language tends to be less specific. This is deliberate and part of the art of drafting patents. For instance, whereas scientists might want to claim they reached a discovery using steps A, B, and C, the patent attorney will attempt to claim the discovery, regardless of the steps used to get there. If successful, this makes for a much more valuable patent, because it is much harder to circumvent using an alternative set of steps.
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