What is the IPC?
(see also paragraphs 6 to 7 of the Guide to the IPC) The acronym IPC stands for International Patent Classification. It is a hierarchical classification system used primarily to classify and search patent documents (patent applications, specifications of granted patents, utility models, etc.) according to the technical fields they pertain. It therefore serves as an instrument for an orderly arrangement of the patent documents, a basis for selective dissemination of information and a basis for investigating the state of the art in given fields of technology. The classification scheme contains about 70,000 entries, i.e. classification symbols that can be allotted to patent documents. These different classification places are arranged in a hierarchical, tree-like structure. • The highest hierarchical level are the eight sections of the IPC corresponding to very broad technical fields. For example, Section C deals with “Chemistry and Metallurgy”. • Sections are subdivided into classes (e.g
