35 U.S.C. § 8 — Classification of patents (MPEP Coverage Index) – BlueIron IP

This page consolidates MPEP guidance interpreting 35 U.S.C. § 8, including 29 rules from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only, it is not legal advice.

Summary

This section outlines the Director’s statutory authority to revise and maintain patent classifications, including United States letters patents and other printed publications as necessary or practicable.

What this section covers

The Director has the authority to classify United States letters patents and other relevant patents and printed publications.

Key obligations

The Director must maintain classifications by subject matter.
Classifications include necessary or practicable printed publications.
The statutory authority for this action is derived from 35 U.S.C. section 8.

Practice notes

Practitioners should stay informed of any revisions in patent classifications for accurate searching and retrieval.
Subject matter can vary widely, so assume that all patents are not classified in the same manner.

Sequence Listing XML Must Use English for Language-Dependent Free TextMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Language Dependent Free Text Qualifier Values RequiredMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Organism Names Require No TranslationMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Technical Terms Considered English for INSDQualifier_valueMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Non-English Qualifiers Must Use Correct Language CodeMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
NonEnglishQualifier Value Language RequirementMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Non-English Qualifiers Must Have Language CodesMPEP 2413.01(h)Permitted
NonEnglish and INSD Qualifier Values Must Be EquivalentMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Translation Requirement for Sequence Listing QualifiersMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Optional ID for Language Dependent Qualifiers in Sequence ListingsMPEP 2413.01(h)Permitted
INSDQualifier ID Must Be UniqueMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Director May Revise Patent Classifications for Novelty DeterminationMPEP 903.01Permitted

Utility Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01Required
Utility Requirement Principles Must Be FollowedMPEP 2107.01Required
Inventors Must Be Identified After September 16, 2012MPEP 2107.01Required
Usefulness Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01Required
Sequence Listing XML Must Use English for Language-Dependent Free TextMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Language Dependent Free Text Qualifier Values RequiredMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Organism Names Require No TranslationMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Technical Terms Considered English for INSDQualifier_valueMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Non-English Qualifiers Must Use Correct Language CodeMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
NonEnglishQualifier Value Language RequirementMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
NonEnglish and INSD Qualifier Values Must Be EquivalentMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
Translation Requirement for Sequence Listing QualifiersMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
INSDQualifier ID Must Be UniqueMPEP 2413.01(h)Required

Third Parties Can Submit Printed PublicationsMPEP 1134.01
Third-Party Submissions Replaced by New RulesMPEP 1134.01
Third-Party Submissions Required Under AIAMPEP 1134.01
Third-Party Submissions EliminatedMPEP 1134.01
4 Purposes of 35 U.S.C. 101 Utility RequirementMPEP 2107.01
Inventor Can Only Get One Patent for a Claimed InventionMPEP 2107.01
Same Invention in Multiple ApplicationsMPEP 2107.01
Categories of Inventions Eligible for Patent ProtectionMPEP 2107.01
Invention Must Be Machine, Article of Manufacture, Composition, or ProcessMPEP 2107.01Prohibited
Useful Invention Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01
Requirement for Useful InventionMPEP 2107.01
Requirement for Useful InventionMPEP 2107.01
Utility Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01

MPEP Section	Rules
MPEP § 1134.01	Third Parties Can Submit Printed PublicationsMPEP 1134.01 Third-Party Submissions Replaced by New RulesMPEP 1134.01 Third-Party Submissions Required Under AIAMPEP 1134.01 Third-Party Submissions EliminatedMPEP 1134.01
MPEP § 2107.01	Utility Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01Required Utility Requirement Principles Must Be FollowedMPEP 2107.01Required 4 Purposes of 35 U.S.C. 101 Utility RequirementMPEP 2107.01 Inventor Can Only Get One Patent for a Claimed InventionMPEP 2107.01 Same Invention in Multiple ApplicationsMPEP 2107.01 Inventors Must Be Identified After September 16, 2012MPEP 2107.01Required Categories of Inventions Eligible for Patent ProtectionMPEP 2107.01 Invention Must Be Machine, Article of Manufacture, Composition, or ProcessMPEP 2107.01Prohibited Useful Invention Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01 Requirement for Useful InventionMPEP 2107.01 Requirement for Useful InventionMPEP 2107.01 Usefulness Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01Required Utility Requirement for PatentabilityMPEP 2107.01
MPEP § 2413.01(h)	Sequence Listing XML Must Use English for Language-Dependent Free TextMPEP 2413.01(h)Required Language Dependent Free Text Qualifier Values RequiredMPEP 2413.01(h)Required Organism Names Require No TranslationMPEP 2413.01(h)Required Technical Terms Considered English for INSDQualifier_valueMPEP 2413.01(h)Required Non-English Qualifiers Must Use Correct Language CodeMPEP 2413.01(h)Required NonEnglishQualifier Value Language RequirementMPEP 2413.01(h)Required Non-English Qualifiers Must Have Language CodesMPEP 2413.01(h)Permitted NonEnglish and INSD Qualifier Values Must Be EquivalentMPEP 2413.01(h)Required Translation Requirement for Sequence Listing QualifiersMPEP 2413.01(h)Required Optional ID for Language Dependent Qualifiers in Sequence ListingsMPEP 2413.01(h)Permitted INSDQualifier ID Must Be UniqueMPEP 2413.01(h)Required
MPEP § 903.01	Director May Revise Patent Classifications for Novelty DeterminationMPEP 903.01Permitted

Related Provisions

Based on MPEP Last Modified: 10/30/2024 08:50:22

35 U.S.C. § 8 — Classification of patents (MPEP Coverage Index) – BlueIron IP

35 U.S.C. § 8 Classification of patents

Summary

Official MPEP § 8 — Classification of patents

35 U.S.C. 8 Classification of patents.

Verbatim in MPEP

Required Actions

Key Interpretations

Topics

MPEP Coverage

Related Provisions