IPC vs CPC compared Third IPC Workshop WIPO

IPC vs. CPC compared Third IPC Workshop (WIPO) Roberto IASEVOLI, EPO CPC Implementation Group 25 February 2013

Outline • • • History Governance and operations Documentation coverage Scheme: availability and layout Definitions: availability and layout What / how / where to classify Database Allocation standard Revisions Questions & Answers 2

History date IPC CPC 1971 Strasbourg Agreement 2006 IPC Reform Jan • "invention" vs. "additional" information • "advanced" vs. "core" level • reclassified documentation • additional layer of the IPC (Definitions) 2010 Oct bilateral agreement EPO-USPTO for the launch of CPC 2011 Simplified IPC Reform Jan • classification in "full IPC" vs. "main -group only" instead of "advanced" vs. "core" levels 3

History (cont'd) date IPC CPC 2013 17 th version of the IPC launched Jan 1 st version of the CPC launched 2013 Apr next version of the CPC expected 2013 May next version of the CPC expected . . . 2014 next version of the IPC expected Jan next version of the CPC expected 4

Governance and operations IPC CPC IPC Union members, under the supervision of WIPO EPO & USPTO operations are described in the CONOPS documentation operations are described in the CPC OPS documentation Committee of Experts (IPC/CE) CPC Implementation Group (CPC IG) to hand over to CPC Joint Board (CPC JB) in operation phase (July 2013) meetings are physically held yearly at WIPO meetings are (physically or VICO) held quarterly/monthly 5

Governance and operations (cont'd) IPC CPC IPC revisions are expected to take place yearly CPC revisions are expected to take place up to monthly revisions are worked out by the Revision Working Group (IPC/WG) revisions are worked out by the Joint Editorial Board (EB) meetings are physically held twice a year at WIPO meetings are (VICO) held weekly 6

Documentation coverage IPC almost all of worldwide published patent documents after 1975 (entry in force of the Strasbourg Agreement) CPC minimum PCT documentation available in EN, FR, DE (and NL) + whole of US patent documentation + CPCNO allocations: EPO member states can send their allocations in CPC format, to retrieve them later in EPOQUE 7

Scheme availability IPC • www. wipo. int/ipcpub CPC • www. cpcinfo. org • www. uspto. gov/web/patents/classificati on/index. html • worldwide. espacenet. com/classification 8

IPC scheme layout Sections A-H • • • 631 subclasses ~ 71 000 symbols invention or additional information Indexing codes • • additional information only as a rule numbering starts at 101/00 – but C 07 D main groups start at 201/00. . . 9

CPC scheme layout Sections A-H Main trunk • • 647 subclasses ~ 160 000 symbols invention or additional information {. . . } used to distinguish CPC text from IPC one Section Y • • Indexing codes ─ 2000 series • • ~ 82 000 symbols former "breakdown" and "orthogonal" ICO include IPC indexing codes additional information only • 6 subclasses ~7 300 symbols including former USPC "XRAC's and digests" tagging of emerging crosssectional technologies additional information only 10

Y a. k. a. the 9 th section of the scheme IPC ideas over a 9 th section of the IPC, to cover emerging technologies, crosssectional in the sense that the new schemes would span over many schemes of the A-H sections, was explored at the time "Nanotech" was discussed in the IPC CPC "Nanotech" was the trigger to have in ECLA the 9 th section for tagging of emerging technologies later Y 01 (Nanotech) was moved to B 82 Y the 9 th section of the IPC could not be created because of the high IT impact on certain offices Y section stays in CPC for tagging of emerging cross-sectional technologies now includes also former USPC XRAC's and digest (Y 10 S) 11

Definitions availability IPC • www. wipo. int/ipcpub CPC • • • www. cpcinfo. org www. uspto. gov/web/patents/classificati on/index. html worldwide. espacenet. com/classification Definitions are "one click away" next to the IPC symbol they relate to Definitions are expected for all subclasses (except indexing schemes) and main-groups, at least Definitions are currently available as XML/PDF files at subclass level a D marks their availability in the IPC page a D marks their availability in the espacenet page available also on USPTO classification resources plan to have all IPC subclasses (except indexing ones) covered plan to have all of CPC subclasses (except indexing ones) and main-groups covered currently ~1/3 of the total is ready all ready by mid 2013 12

Definitions layout IPC CPC a Template exists to structure information a Template exists which is almost in the best way identical to the IPC one XML schema mirrors the Template structure XML schema is compatible with the IPC one 13

What / where / how to classify IPC CPC the IPC Guide provides the required information on the proper usage of the IPC the CPC Guide does not exist (yet), but the CPC follows IPC Guide "unless differently stated" what: contribution over the prior art; other features interesting for search. . . where: function-oriented vs. applicationoriented places. . . what: contribution over the prior art; other features interesting for search. . . where: reflect IPC practice to a very large extent, unless differently stated in the CPC Definitions how: invention vs. additional information; indexing schemes. . . 14

Database IPC CPC MCD • the master database for the IPC, collecting allocations sent by all offices worldwide • MCD is the authoritative source of the IPC classification data • it also generates reclassification working lists (RWL) for all offices at each IPC revision CPC-DB • a "dual master" database with synchronization, to ensure independence of operations of the two offices, while offering refreshed access to the shared allocations • CPC-DB is the authoritative source of the CPC classification data • database "products" are not exported from CPC-DB but from the local databases, e. g. DOC-DB/XML is fed by DOC-DB 15

CPC database (CPC-DB) • “Dual master" databases with data synchronization • CPC-DB will be the authoritative source for CPC classification data 16

Allocation standard IPC Standard 8 (ST 8) CPC based on ST 8 17

Allocation standard — from the IPC ST 8. . . , Y A 18

Allocation standard (cont'd) —. . . to the CPC one 19

Revisions IPC CPC yearly (ready 6 months in advance) up to monthly (ready 6 weeks in advance) worked out by the IPC/WG worked out by the CPC EB platform: IPC IEF platform: CPC collaborative environment the following deliverables are expected: • Scheme / Definition project changes – en français aussi ! • CRL (cross-reference list) • Compilation of changes – stems from the two above • RCL (revision concordance list) • RWL (reclassification working lists) for all participating offices • CI (Catchword Index) the following deliverables are expected: • Scheme / Definition project changes • • • CRL (cross-reference list) Compilation of changes – stems from the two above RCL (revision concordance list) RWL (reclassification working lists) for CPC offices CICL (CPC-IPC concordance list) 20

Questions & Answers . . Thank you !! 21