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8.1 Contents and Form of the Abstract - Patent Cooperation Treaty
§ 8.1 Contents and Form of the Abstract
(a) The abstract shall consist of the following:
(i) a summary of the disclosure as contained in the description, the claims, and any drawings; the summary shall indicate the technical field to which the invention pertains and shall be drafted in a way which allows the clear understanding of the technical problem, the gist of the solution of that problem through the invention, and the principal use or uses of the invention;
(ii) where applicable, the chemical formula which, among all the formulae contained in the international application, best characterizes the invention.
(b) The abstract shall be as concise as the disclosure permits (preferably 50 to 150 words if it is in English or when translated into English).
(c) The abstract shall not contain statements on the alleged merits or value of the claimed invention or on its speculative application.
(d) Each main technical feature mentioned in the abstract and illustrated by a drawing in the international application shall be followed by a reference sign, placed between parentheses.
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