Today, we will look at intellectual property rights, in particular, “major patent classifications”.
1. Types of Patent Classifications
1) IPC CODE: It is a patent classification system that can be used worldwide as the International Patent Classification Code. Korea accepts the IPC code as it is and uses it. IPC Code codes the field with the first alphabet (referred to as section), followed by two numbers + one letter to indicate class and sub-class. Finally, the main group and sub group are expressed by numbers again. It is mainly written by mixing the specific function and application-oriented aspects of invention patents, and design patents are not included in the IPC Code. A separate system exists for design. IPC search can be first made at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO.
2) US Patent Classification (USPC): The US patent classification code is a patent classification system that has been used since 1831, before the creation of the IPC. In the U.S. patent classification, there are groups in three fields: electricity, chemistry, and machinery, and there are more than 450 classes (expressed by three-digit numbers), and over 150,000 subclasses (expressed by three-digit numbers following the three-digit numbers for class) below them. There is a difference to IPC that the IPC code follows the industry classification when classifying, whereas the US patent classification code classifies based on the claims of the patent applicant.
3) European Patent Classification (ECLA): In Europe, after accepting the IPC classification, a more subdivided index is used. In Europe, there is an examiner who specializes in the classification of applied patents, and this examiner is responsible for the classification of the submitted patents. As for the code system, about 130,000 detailed classifications are created and used by adding a single letter after the IPC code.
4) Japanese Patent Classification (File Index, FI): Japan also adopted the IPC classification and further subdivided it. For the purpose of balanced dispersion in the field of a specific patent application, it is subdivided using an identifier designated by an alphabetic character after the IPC class (excluding I and O). Also, in Japan, there is a unique classification system called theme code and F-term, which was created to solve the technical classification system of FI. In Japan, based on the technical content, first, a theme code that is a combination of five-digit numbers and an alphabet is assigned, and an F-term (2 digits for the purpose of invention + 2-digit numbers) is given as a subordinate concept.
Today, we looked at intellectual property rights, especially “major patent classifications”. Next, we will study intellectual property rights, especially “the fourth industrial revolution and patents”.
*I am a student learning IP, not an IP expert. Translation is also by Google translator and my own, insufficient English skills. I wanted to deliver the IP related contents in the perspectives of a student. I hope my blog helps people like me.
*The above is what I learned from Professor Moon's intellectual property lecture, which can be viewed through K-mooc. Here is the link to the lecture (you may not be able to view it without logging in).
kmooc.kr/courses/course-v1:YeungnamUnivK+YU21900+2021_01/course
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