MPEP § 902.02 — Class and Subclass Definitions in USPC (Annotated Rules)
This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 902.02, including statutory authority, regulatory rules, examiner guidance, and practice notes. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only, it is not legal advice.
Class and Subclass Definitions in USPC
This section addresses Class and Subclass Definitions in USPC.
Key Rules
Mandatory Requirements (2)
It should be noted that classification orders frequently affect existing definitions. Personal sets of definitions used by examiners should be periodically revised to reflect these changes. Classification Orders are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Orders. The Classification Home Page is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit.
It should be noted that classification orders frequently affect existing definitions. Personal sets of definitions used by examiners should be periodically revised to reflect these changes. Classification Orders are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Orders. The Classification Home Page is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit.
Definitions & Scope (2)
It should be noted that classification orders frequently affect existing definitions. Personal sets of definitions used by examiners should be periodically revised to reflect these changes. Classification Orders are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Orders. The Classification Home Page is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit.
It should be noted that classification orders frequently affect existing definitions. Personal sets of definitions used by examiners should be periodically revised to reflect these changes. Classification Orders are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Orders. The Classification Home Page is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit.
Source Text from USPTO’s MPEP
This is an exact copy of the MPEP from the USPTO. It is here for your reference to see the section in context.
Official MPEP § 902.02 — Class and Subclass Definitions in USPC
Source: USPTO902.02 Class and Subclass Definitions in USPC [R-01.2024]
All of the classes within USPC have definitions.
Definitions state the subject matter of the classes and subclasses in much more detail than it is possible to state in the brief class and subclass titles. A study of the definitions is essential to determine the proper classification of subject matter within the U.S. Patent Classification System (USPC).
All classes and subclasses (class definitions) in the USPC are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Search Classification Data. The Classification Home Page (https://ptoweb.uspto.gov/patents/ classification-resources/) is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit.
It should be noted that classification orders frequently affect existing definitions. Personal sets of definitions used by examiners should be periodically revised to reflect these changes. Classification Orders are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Orders. The Classification Home Page is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit.