Patent classification

All patent applications published are classified in the technological field to which they belong. INPI adopts the International Patent Classification (IPC) and, since 2014, the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) to classify the applications. The patent classification initially aims at establishing an effective search tool to recover patent documents by the intellectual property bureaus and other users, in order to establish the novelty and assess the inventive step of technical disclosures in patent applications.

The IPC is the international classification system, created based on the Strasbourg Agreement (1971), which technological areas are divided into classes A to H. Within each class, there are sub-classes, main groups, and groups, in a hierarchical system.

The CPC is the classification system created by the European Patent Office – EPO/United States Patents and Trademarks Office – USPTO, based on the IPC, but being more detailed. While the IPC has about 70 thousand groups, the CPC has about 200 thousand groups. Once the group(s) to which the patent application refers is(are) identified, it is easy to identify other patent applications related to the same purpose.

See the classifications in Portuguese and English included in the IPC version in effect. The IPC is reviewed annually; and in January of each year a new version is released. In the same website, you can find the CPC classifications in English by selecting “Mostrar CPC/FI” [Show CPC/FI] in the left menu.

Law No. 5,772 of December 21, 1971 (Industrial Property Code), revoked by Law No. 9,279 of May 14, 1996, also enabled the grant of privileges of Industrial Models (MI).

MI applications were classified, first, with the National Classification, which was hierarchically dismembered into: Groups – Classes – Sub-Classes. This classification was replaced by the Classification of Utility Models and Industrial Designs Industriais, which categorized the applications into classes – sub-classes. In order to carry out searches by using these classifications, one must insert the desired classification in field (51) – IPC Classification of the patent search tool in INPI’s Portal.

In case of doubts on patent classification, email them to classifica@inpi.gov.br.