USPTO Announces Pilot Program With KIPO on Use of CPC Coding System

摘要

On June 5, the US Patent and Trademark Office announced the launch of a new pilot program in which the Korean Intellectual Property Office will classify some of its patent documents using the Cooperative Patent Classification system. The CPC, a common coding of technical subject matter created by the USPTO and the European Patent Office, was formally implemented on January 1 (see "USPTO and EPO Launch Cooperative Patent Classification System in Full" [27 WIPR 28, 2/1/13]). The offices expected it would increase efficiency in the patent examination process and announced at that time their hope that it would expand its use among the so-called "IP5" partner offices - which includes KIPO, the Japan Patent Office, and China's State Intellectual Property Office.