1. Definition
The SCL-International Patent Classification (IPC) is the Eurostat standard hierarchical patent classification system, to classify the content of patents in a uniform manner.
2. Objectives
- Patent Classification
- Code list
- Eurostat and worldwide standard
3. Owner
IPC is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Eurostat maintains the European part (SCL - International patent classification).
4. Intended audience
SCL-International Patent Classification has been developed in order to provide to all persons and organisations that may need to have a classification of patents such a tool. The main target was the statistical institutes or organisations that may need to create statistics on the topic. European Union Member States organisations are as well targeted because they provide statistics to Eurostat with this classification.
5. Long description
Patent publications from all of the Contracting States (and also most others) are each assigned at least one classification term indicating the subject to which the invention relates and may also be assigned further classification and indexing terms to give further details of the contents.
Each classification term consists of a symbol such as A01B 1/00 (which represents "hand tools"). The first letter is the "section symbol" consisting of a letter from A ("Human Necessities") to H ("Electricity"). This is followed by a two digit number to give a "class symbol" (A01 represents "Agriculture; forestry; animal husbandry; trapping; fishing"). The final letter makes up the "subclass" (A01B represents "Soil working in agriculture or forestry; parts, details, or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general"). The subclass is then followed by a 1 to 3 digit "group" number, an oblique stroke and a number of at least two digits representing a "main group" or "subgroup". A patent examiner assigns a classification to the patent application or other document at the most detailed level which is applicable to its contents.
The classification is split into 8 sections:
A: Human Necessities
B: Performing Operations, Transporting
C: Chemistry, Metallurgy
D: Textiles, Paper
E: Fixed Constructions
F: Mechanical Engineering, Lighting, Heating, Weapons
G: Physics
H: Electricity
6. Known implementations
IPC is used in over 100 countries, including European Union Member States that have to provide information to Eurostat.
7. How to participate
The classification is updated on a regular basis by a Committee of Experts, consisting of representatives of the Contracting States of that Agreement with observers from other organisations, such as the European Patent Office.
8. History / Key milestones
The first edition of the classification (not yet known as IPC) became effective on September 1, 1968. The IPC was created under the Strasbourg Agreement (1971), one of a number of treaties administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The IPC is under continual revision, with new editions coming into force on 1st January each year. The current version is IPC2014.01.
9. Additional documents
