In order to speed up searching, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has a number of new programs that not only help searchers speed up the patent searching process but also have an impact on examination. The presentation discusses the new Global Patent Search Network (GPSN) in which Chinese patent applications in English are available at the USPTO website. In addition, the presentation describes the new Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system which has been implemented at the USPTO and will be the sole patent classification system effective January 1, 2015.

1. Speeding It Up at
the USPTO
July 2013
July 23, 2013

2. Speeding Up Searching

3. Speeding Up Searching
• New Global Patent Search Network
• New Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

4. Global Patent Search Network
• New Global Patent Search Network
– Cooperation of United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) and State
Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of the
People’s Republic of China.
– Search Chinese Patent Documents in Chinese
or English (2008-2011)
– Available at http://gpsn.uspto.gov/

5. Global Patent Search Network

6. Global Patent Search Network

7. Global Patent Search Network

8. Global Patent Search Network

9. Speeding Up Searching
• For a Good Patent Search You Need to Find
the Right Class
– United States Patent Classification (USPC)- hard
– International Patent Classification (IPC)- difficult
• IPC too many patents in a group to review

10. Speeding Up Searching

11. Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
• Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) will allow you to perform
a single classification search across multiple patent offices
• Joint (Global) Classification System Based on the European
Classification system (ECLA)
– More granular than the International Patent Classification (IPC)
system
 ECLA about 140,000 Entries
 CPC about 200,000 Entries
• CPC is International Patent Classification (IPC) Compliant
• Participants
– EPO
– USPTO
– Korean Patent Office (KIPO)
– China (SIPO)

12. Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
• Now Implemented in the USPTO (January 1,
2013)
– 2 Year Transition
 Newly filed US applications ("A" publications) will be
classified in the USPC and the CPC
 US patent grants ("B" publications) will be classified
in either the USPC or the USPC and the CPC
 CPC symbols will be printed on the front page, next
to the IPC and USPC symbols.
– By January 1, 2015- USPTO will exclusively
classify CPC (but will keep IPC)

13. Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
Sections
IPCIPC
CPCCPC
Classes
Subclasses
Groups
Subgroups
A01B33/08
A
01
B
33(/00)
08

14. Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
• Sections
– A: Human Necessities
– B: Operations and Transport
– C: Chemistry and Metallurgy
– D: Textiles
– E: Fixed Constructions
– F: Mechanical Engineering
– G: Physics
– H: Electricity

15. Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)

16. Speeding It Up at
the USPTO
July 23, 2013
Copyright 2013 Woodard, Emhardt, Moriarty, McNett & Henry LLP