What’s new in the IPC 2022.01?
The new version of the IPC 2022.01 is now live! You will be able to include the new patent classification codes that came into force on the 1st of January in your comprehensive searches in PatBase as they start being assigned.
What has changed in the IPC 2022.01?
The IPC 2022.01 has made amendments to 2,478 groups in total. Included within these amendments are:
- 1570 new subdivisions have been created.
- 307(EV)/508(FV) groups have been modified.
- 248 groups have been deleted.
- 92 groups are “C”-type modified.
- 231(EV)/30(FV) groups are “L”-type modified.
- 30 groups are “T”-type modified
To view the changes in detail on the WIPO website please follow this link.
Why we recommend using patent classifications in comprehensive searches
Patent classifications are primarily used to classify and search for patent documents according to the technical fields that they are related to. Patent classifications are very useful when it comes to investigating the state of the art in given fields of technology. They are applied to patent documents worldwide and are available to search for in most databases, including PatBase.
Using patent classifications when performing searches provides more complete results than text searching alone. It is also worth noting that classifications are independent of the language of the text and any changes in terminology allowing you to perform a much more complete search than using only keyword searching.
You can easily search for relevant patent classifications to your search query within PatBase by using the Classification Finder and Classification Explorer tools. Alternatively, you can use the Optimise tool to refine your search results generated by your search query by patent classification codes and view more relevant patent families and documents.
To find out more about how to use patent classifications in comprehensive searches in PatBase or to request your 2-week free trial contact [email protected].