What are INID Codes and why are they important?

INID Codes (Internationally agreed Numbers for the Identification of bibliographic Data) are standardized numbers used to identify specific bibliographic data on patent documents and related publications. They are important because:

• They allow for easy identification of various data elements on patent documents without requiring knowledge of the language or laws applied.
• They have been used by most patent offices, including the U.S. Patent Office since August 4, 1970.
• They facilitate international understanding and exchange of patent information.

As stated in the MPEP: The purpose of INID Codes (“INID” is an acronym for “Internationally agreed Numbers for the Identification of (bibliographic) Data”) is to provide a means whereby the various data appearing on the first page of patent and like documents or in patent gazettes can be identified without knowledge of the language used and the laws applied.

To learn more:

• INID Codes
• Patent Documentation
• Bibliographic Data
• International Standards