Patent Classification
INID Codes: international system that allows elements on the patent cover page to be identified in all languages
Claims: phrases that precisely define the invention and outline the boundaries of the claimed invention (prevents infringement)
Classes - Broad Technological Categories (> 400)
Plant patents classified under 89 subclasses
Subclasses - Specific Technological Categories Patents may be assigned to more than one subclass (> 200,000)
The Index to the U. S. Patent Classification is the subject index to the Manual. Assists with the unique nomenclature of Patents
United States Patent Classification (USPC) Office
The Office of Patent Classification maintains the patent classification systems.
Classification and Search Support System (CASSIS)
CASSIS is the CD-ROM indexes to US patents & trademarks
- Images of all U.S. patents on disc through USAPat
- Images of published patent applications on disc through USAApp
- Images of registered and pending trademarks through USAMark
- A complete set of U.S. Plant Patents on microfiche and in hard copy
- Patent and trademark reference resources
Cooperative Patent Classification
The CPC was initiated as a joint partnership between the USPTO and the EPO to harmonize their existing classification systems (ECLA and USPC).
Coalesced Classification:
WIPO International Classifications
