Patents: CPC Classifications
What are CPC Classifications
It's a way of grouping common subject matters together.
The CPC was jointly developed between the USPTO and the European Patent Office (EPO). Previously (before Jan. 1, 2013) the United States used their own scheme called the United States Patent Classification (USPC).
The CPC is used for new utility patents, but the older system of USPC is still used for design and plant patents.
For more details, see the USPTO's page on Patent Classifications, and the USPTO Guide to the Cooperative Patent Classification scheme.
Where to look for the codes
To help translate keywords to codes, do a search under Classification Text Search, on the left side of the Classification Resources Page.
You may find several useful CPC codes. Make note of these and or open them in new browser tabs.
