International Patent Classification: Training

The IPC Revision Working Group has prepared a collection of training examples which are intended for teaching the staff of industrial property offices in the use of the IPC. The examples pertain to different technical fields (mechanics, electricity and chemistry) and address a variety of different aspects of increasing complexity which are related to the use of the IPC for classification. They are primarily based on examples of real patent applications having family members in different languages, or, in some cases, on artificial examples.

IPC seminars

Upon request, WIPO provides intensive training in the use of the IPC for the staff of national or regional industrial property offices. Such training courses cover both the use of the IPC for classifying as well as for searching.

Selected seminar presentations

• Introduction - This presentation explains why a patent classification like the IPC was developed and why it is still useful despite such options like searching patent databases for keywords or advanced text mining techniques.
• Basics of the IPC - symbols, titles, hierarchy, scope of entries - This presentation briefly explains the format of symbols, the hierarchical structure of the IPC, the titles of entries at different hierarchical levels, further elements of the IPC scheme and the scope of IPC entries.
• Classification and search practice - This presentation explains important aspects of classification and search practice such as:  what is classified and where, function- and application-oriented places, classification rules, and strategies and means for finding a proper IPC symbol.
• Checklist for classifying documents.
• IPC-related Internet resources - This presentation introduces the different Internet-based resources that are relevant for users of the IPC.