Broadest Reasonable Interpretation

The Broadest Reasonable Interpretation (BRI) was a rule of construction used by the Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) which created a bias against inventors such that the PTO would construe their patent claims as broadly as possible after they were issued, and then invalidate them based on an overly broad interpretation. Patent-holders have traditionally been denied the ability to narrow their claims by amendment after a patent is issued.

This rule was replace by the "Phillips" rule.

See also

• Gene Quinn, Editor and Founder of IP Watchdog