Guidance

Patent classification

Updated 24 October 2017

© Crown copyright 2017

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/patent-classification/patent-classification

1. Patent classification overview

As a patent granting authority we perform searches on UK patent applications. Prior to publication of applications we apply classification symbols characterising their main technical disclosures in order to aid their subsequent retrieval. All UK patent applications are classified in accordance with their technical content. Currently we apply the International Patent Classification (IPC) and Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) to all UK patent applications.

2. The International Patent Classification (IPC)

The International Patent Classification is an internationally developed classification system which first entered into force on 1 September 1968. It is the most widely used patent classification scheme and is under continual revision by an international body of representatives from patent offices worldwide. Each patent document we publish will have at least one IPC symbol applied to it. The European Patent Office EPO and other patent offices worldwide also use it to classify their own patent documents. The IPC is administered by the;

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
34 Chemin des Colombettes,
CH-1211 Geneva 20,
Switzerland.

ipc.mail@wipo.int

Enquiries about the IPC should be directed to WIPO.

IPC revision is a continuous process with the IPC2017.01 (valid from 1 January 2017) being version 21 of the scheme. The IPC is presented as a hierarchical collection of alphanumeric classification ‘symbols’. At its highest level, the IPC scheme is subdivided into 8 broad ‘Sections’ A-H as follows:

Section Subject matter
A Human necessities
B Performing operations; Transporting
C Chemistry; Metallurgy
D Textiles; Paper
E Civil engineering; Building accessories
F Mechanics; Lighting; Heating
G Instrumentation
H Electricity

These sections are hierarchically divided into progressively more refined levels as follows;

Classes (e.g. A01 = Agriculture; Forestry; Animal husbandry; Hunting; Trapping; Fishing)

Subclasses (e.g. A01D = Harvesting; Mowing)

Main groups (e.g. A01D 9/00 = Forks)

Subgroups (e.g. A01D 9/04 = Forks with exchangeable tines)

Classification of subject matter is made at the Main group or Subgroup level. The symbols (e.g. A01D 9/04) which are associated with patent documents during the classification process indicate the technical content therein. The IPC provides approximately 70,000 groups, each relating to a distinct technical field. The scope of groups is defined by group titles, whilst further information in the form of references, definitions and chemical formulae is provided to aid the classifier/searcher, where required.

3. The Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

The Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is a development of the former European Classification (ECLA) and is jointly-owned and developed by the EPO and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO ). It entered into force on 1st January 2013 after a cooperation agreement between the two offices in 2010. It is based upon the IPC structure, with finer subdivision of technical areas (approximately 260,000 groups in total), and an additional section Y which may be used to classify additional information not directly covered in sections A-H.

4. UK Classification Key (UKC)

4.1 UKC classification

The UKC was the UK’s national patent classification system which was first established in 1888 and last used on 30 June 2007. At times we also classified certain other collections of documents to the UKC, most notably US, EP and WO published patent applications. A definitive guide of what was covered is available in our Documentation Record.

4.2 UKC use

Following a public consultation we stopped applying UKC terms to our documents on 1 July 2007, at which time we were also classifying all UK patent applications in the IPC and ECLA schemes. UKC terms may have continued to appear on the front page of some published UK patent applications as late as 2009. We do not intend to make any further changes to the terms of UKC or to classify any new documents to it. We maintain an electronic record of the documents classified to the UKC. Whilst we no longer apply the UKC terms to our applications, it is still possible to search UK patent applications published prior to July 2007 using these terms.

5. UKC documentation

(provided via The National Archives)

The definitions of the UKC are contained in Sections A-H:

6. Additional supporting documentation on the UKC

7. The Universal Indexing Schedule associated with the UKC

Back to top