International Patent Classification

The International Patent Classification ( officially: International Patent Classification, abbreviated as IPC) is a tool for patent research. With it, the technical content of patents are classified uniform worldwide since 1975. Used is the IPC of the patent offices in more than 100 countries, and the European Patent Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO ), from which the Strasbourg Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Patents for Invention by which the classification was created is also managed. The IPC is continually adapted to the evolution of technology and has been updated to 8th edition (2006) every five years. With the beginning of the 8th edition of the system was reformed and split the classification into "core" and " Advanced"; latter was frequently revised as the former. January 1, 2011, this plan is canceled; the current output is IPC 2011.01.

The full IPC symbol, a code of letters and digits is referred to as IPC notation. The IPC notation is given on published patent applications and issued patents and is marked with the Inid Code 51.

In order to divide the classes more accurately and thus to facilitate research, exists in many patent and trademark offices to further fine classification below the IPC. The internal fine classification of the German Patent and Trademark Office is called DEKLA. The European Patent Organisation has created a fine organization, the European Patent Classification. In order to harmonize the various classifications fine again an association was called Trilateral established which includes the world's three largest intellectual property organizations, the European Patent Office, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office.

Classification

The classification is hierarchically divided into sections ( letter), in these classes (digits) and subclasses (letter) and these in turn in about 70,000 main and sub- groups (numbers). The top hierarchy in 8 sections, which divide the technology into areas.

Examples

For complete IPC codes:

• Stabilizing surfaces B64C5/00
• Bicycle frame, tubular B62K19/06

Additional protection laws, classifications

Some states use primarily their own patent classification, such as the U.S., the USPC. For other protection areas of intellectual property, there are other classifications: the International Classification of Goods and Services ( Nice Classification, see also brand classification ), the International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks ( Vienna Classification ) and the International Classification for Industrial Designs Locarno classification.