International Patent Classification Agreement

Summary of International Patent Classification Agreement

A system for the classification of patents, created to promote uniformity in classifying technological innovations. The International Patent Classification System segments technology into eight categories, with a total of 52,000 subdivisions, each of which consists of Roman letters and Arabic numerals. The system is essential to searches involving the novelty of an invention, and to international patent filings.

The agreement was adopted in 1971; it is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (read this and related legal terms for further details) and is open to any state adhering to the Paris Convention For The Protection Of Industrial Property (read this and related legal terms for further details). On March 15, 1983, the following states were party to the agreement: Australia Italy

Austria Japan

Belgium Luxembourg

Brazil Monaco

Czechoslovakia Netherlands

Denmark Norway

Egypt Portugal

Finland Spain

France Surinam

German Democratic Sweden

Republic Switzerland

German Federal Republic United Kingdom Ireland United States

Israel

(Main Author: William J. Miller)