Let's continue the discussion on “Introduction to Intellectual Property and Understanding Intellectual Property”. Among them, today, we will learn about “patent code and numbering system”.
Patent rights exist in various international cooperation treaties such as the Paris Treaty, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the Patent Law Treaty, along with the nature of territorialism. Therefore, international efforts to harmonize patent examination standards are continuously being made, and the Patent Prosecution Highway, that is, examination highway, is also being introduced. Due to the international nature of these patents, the codes used for patents are also internationally standardized.
1. INID code
International agreed Numbers for the Identification of Data, INID code is used as an identifier of the bibliographical matter of the patent document. In the case of foreign patent documents, even if you do not know the language, you can identify bibliographic items using the INID code that issues the same code to the same item.
2. IPC code
International Patent Classification code refers to a specific code assigned according to the contents of the patent document. IPC codes are indicated in the order of section, class, subclass, ,main group, and subgroup, and IPC codes are still being accounted for as technology develops.
3. Patent Classification Codes by Country
In order to search for a specific patent document, it is necessary to know the identification number representing the patent document. Types of this identification number include an application number issued when a patent application is filed, a publication number issued when a patent is published, and a registration number issued when a patent is finally registered. Among them, only the publication number and the registration number serve to represent the relevant patent document. Since this numbering system differs from country to country, it is important to be familiar with it to reduce the time spent searching for a patent.
1) United States: The United States Patent Classification code is used, and apart from IPC, it is a code that the United States has been using since 1831. It is divided into 3 fields, 450 classes, and about 150,000 subclasses, including design classification.
2) Japan: File Index, FI refers to Japan's unique patent classification system. This is a more granular IPC. In addition, Japan has theme codes and F-terms. Theme codes are a concept of a higher classification of F-terms, and F-terms are subdivided according to various technical viewpoints such as purpose, function, structure, material, manufacturing method, etc. for a specific subject field.
3) Europe: The European Classification System, ECLA, uses a more detailed code based on IPC.
4) Korea: In the Korean numbering system, the application number has the same format as the publication number, and the registration number uses a more simplified code. General applications and PCT applications are also classified by giving a difference in classification code number, and the type of intellectual property can also be identified through this classification code.
*I am a student learning IP, not an IP expert. Translation is also by Google translator and my insufficient English skills. I hope it will be helpful for those who do not have the relevant knowledge or who want to learn about IP.
*The above is what I learned from a book compiled by the Korean Intellectual Property Office and Korea Invention Promotion Association (published by Pakmungak) entitled “Introduction to Intellectual Property, Understanding Intellectual Property”.
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