patent class

IPC, UPC, ECLA, F-index/F-term are all systems of patent classification.  Patent classification is important to organize the granted patents into categories so patent portfolio managers and strategic firm managers can search them as prior art, and for strategic purposes.  Concordance tables can help to compare one system to another.  In all cases, class is determined by the patent examiner, not chosen by the company.   IPC (International Patent Classification System) – 70,000 divisions of the IPC, which is the native patent classification system of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  IPC’s most general classification system consists of a letter (having 8 general classes in total), with A being human necessities. G & H are the most important and numerous high-tech general classifications for physics and electricity respectively.   UPC (USPC) (United States Patent Classification System) – The UPC is separate and not directly linked to the syntax of the IPC. …