International Patent Classification (IPC)

The International Patent Classification (IPC) is a standardized classification system used to organize information on inventions in patent applications. It was developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to help patent examiners quickly find relevant documents and facilitate prior art searches.

The IPC is organized into sections, classes, subclasses and groups. Each invention is classified in a specific subclass according to its function and characteristic. For example, a computer-related invention would be classified in subclass G06F, while a medical-related invention would be classified in subclass A61K.

The IPC is used worldwide to organize patent information, facilitating patent searches and examinations by intellectual property offices. The IPC is also used to help inventors determine the scope of their invention and search for existing patents.

It is important to note that the IPC is a classification system only, and does not replace a thorough prior art search. Inventors should always conduct a thorough prior art search before filing a patent application to ensure that their invention is novel and distinctive from what has already been disclosed or registered previously.