Patent offices have different views and practices on IPC classification. How are these differences minimised in the IPC?
With the introduction of IPC definitions, the intended coverage of IPC classification places is much clearer and leaves less room for interpretation. This should lead to a more consistent application. Moreover, since the IPC codes of the backfile are derived from only a few sources, and are not necessarily based on the “old” IPC given at publication, the generated IPC classification of these documents is likely to be more consistent than the original IPC. Whenever the IPC is revised, the reclassification of documents is done by a small number of offices and classifications propagated to all members of a patent family. This also helps in limiting variations in IPC application.
