Regular pruning keeps your portfolio lean and puts renewal budget behind patents that deliver strategic value. ArcPrime scores every renewal candidate with a single Keep Score, shows claim scope overlap within the family, and tracks each decision. This guide helps portfolio managers and IP leaders run efficient, well-communicated pruning cycles.

Open Settings > Workflows & Automation > Pruning. Set the Cadence (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 months), Cases to Include, and the Review Lead Time before fees fall due. Cycles align to the calendar year, so a cycle that starts mid-period runs only until the next boundary. Undecided candidates roll over to the next cycle automatically.

A predictable cadence makes pruning a routine process rather than a fire drill. Stakeholders know when to expect it and can plan accordingly.

Open Patents > Intelligence > Pruning and sort the Renewal Candidates tab by Keep Score. The score combines claim scope within the family, detectability, evidence of use from the newest completed deep research, remaining patent life, and technology mix. Click a score to see the breakdown for each factor. Administrators can change the weights under Settings > Workflows & Automation > Pruning; see understanding the Keep Score.

Use the Filter panel to work in batches: by Technology, Country, Expiration, Overlap, Detectability, or Keep Score. The Expiration filter surfaces patents near the end of their term.

The Overlap column shows how much of a patent's claim scope is already covered by its closest family member, and names that relative. A high overlap on a narrow case is a strong prune signal. A low overlap means the patent adds unique scope even when other signals are weak. Open Claim Analysis for the family view before deciding.

Click Decide on a candidate to open the Make a Decision page. The family summary shows Detectability, Evidence Availability, Product Mappings, and Technology, with Do Deep Research available when evidence is thin. Prior decisions on the family are listed with their reasoning and appear as defaults for the new cycle. Use Y, ?, or N per case, or Renew All and Renew None for the family, and record your reasoning before you save.

Cross-reference each candidate against your licensing program, active litigation, and roadmap. A low Keep Score patent may still matter if it covers a future product. The decision also appears on the patent's detail page as Decision: Renew or Do Not Renew.

Click Message on the decision page to email responsible counsel; the subject is Pruning Instruction. For a full record, click the export button on the Pruning page. The CSV lists candidates with keep scores, scope overlap, due dates, expiration, and decisions. See messaging counsel about pruning decisions.