International Patent Classification

For search purposes, patent applications and patents are classified according to the technical content of the invention into appropriate classes or subclasses according to the International Patent Classification (IPC). The classification comprises 8 technical sections (indicated by letters A to H) divided into subdivisions further divided into classes or subclasses. It is desirable that the applicant classifies the invention into one or more (sub) classes that best correspond to the content of the invention. The classification is carried out by patent examiners for search purposes and it does not affect the scope of patent protection.

After the 2006 reform, the IPC contained a simple level (Core level) intended primarily for less experienced users and a more complex level (Advanced level) intended for use in larger patent offices that classify and search large collections of patent documents, i.e. professional users of the IPC. The core and advanced levels of the IPC were abolished in 2011, and since then the advanced level has been available to users, which is continuously revised once a year, and new - revised versions are published once a year in electronic form. The full content of the classification in English and French is available on the World Intellectual Property Organization website (WIPO/OMPI).

The 8th issue of the IPC printed in Croatian comprises a simpler, basic level (Core level) of the reformed IPC and it is intended primarily for less experienced users. The advanced level of the IPC, versions 2006.01 and 2008.01, is available in Croatian in electronic form on the website of the Office. Due to the dynamics of development (revised every year), the new, revised version of the IPC is not published in print but only in electronic form.
The printed issue of the classification in Croatian can be used or bought at the INCENTIV.
 

Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

In addition to the International Patent Classification, the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is used in the classification of patent applications, which is a common classification system of the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and was introduced on 01.01.2013.

The CPC is a more detailed version of the IPC, and unlike the IPC, which contains 70,000 records, the CPC contains 250,000 records. This classification includes 9 technical areas: 8 areas marked with letters A to H the same as in the IPC, and an additional area Y related to new technologies.

The CPC is being continuously revised, and its entire content can be found on the EPO website. It should be noted that the text in parentheses refers to the text that is not in the ICP.