What is the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)?
The Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is a bilateral classification system jointly developed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Patent Office (EPO). As stated in MPEP 905:
“Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is a bilateral classification system jointly developed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Patent Office (EPO).”
This system provides a standardized method for categorizing and searching patent documents across both offices, enhancing the efficiency of prior art searches and patent examination.
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