EPO and USPTO patent classification systems to be merged into a joint CPC classification system

All patent offices worldwide use the International Patent Classification code (IPC) in their patent and utility model documents. In addition, many patent offices also have their own classifications systems, such as ECLA at the European Patent Office (EPO), and the USPC patent classification system at the US Patent Office (USPTO). At the beginning of 2013, the ECLA and USPC will be merged to form a new, joint CPC classification system (Cooperative Patent Classification).

ECLA is based on IPC – CPC is based on ECLA

The CPC system is based on the ECLA, which in turn is based on the IPC system. In the IPC, the complete range of technical fields is divided into more than 70,000 groups. In the ECLA, the classification is more precise, and includes twice as many groups. The CPC will also comprise classes previously used by EPO patent examiners only, as well as the best aspects of the US classification system. As a result, the CPC will introduce a more precise and more usable search tool for information seekers than the ECLA.

By using the IPC, the search results list a large number of countries – ECLA and CPC give a more precise search result

Not all patent offices use the ECLA to classify their patent documents, as the ECLA has principally been an internal tool at the EPO. To make their work more efficient, the EPO has classified the patent documents of countries included in the minimum documentation, as referred to in the international Patent Cooperation Treaty, by the ECLA. When the CPC has been introduced, the EPO will presumably continue to classify the minimum documentation but now using the CPC. Apart from the EPO and USPTO, it is not clear how many patent offices will begin to classify their patent documents using the CPC.

As not all patent documents in the world have been classified using the CPC, you might not find all relevant information when searching with the CPC. We recommend that you run a new search by using the IPC instead. Please note however that the CPC divides technical fields into smaller groups, which is why the search result is more precise than when using the IPC.

CPC to be introduced in the Espacenet database at the beginning of December

From the beginning of December 2012, you can use the CPC instead of the ECLA to search the Espacenet – the ECLA classification system will then no longer be available in Espacenet, and, at the beginning of 2013, neither will the US patent classification.

CPC used only in databases

The CPC classification code will not be shown on the first page of patent documents, and it can only be used in online searches.

The IPC system still in use

The International Patent Classification system will still be used despite the CPC reform, as more than 100 patent offices will continue to classify their patent documents using the International Patent Classification, IPC.

Please contact our consulting engineers for more information about patent classification schemes in general or their use in information searches:
Mon–Fri 9.00–11.00 and 12.00–15.00
Tel. +358 9 6939 5858
E-mail: neuvonta.patentti@prh.fi