What is WIPO Standard ST.16 and why is it important for patent examiners?

WIPO Standard ST.16 is a crucial resource for patent examiners, as outlined in MPEP 1851: “The standard codes for identifying different kinds of patent documents are found in the ‘WIPO Handbook on Industrial Property Information and Documentation’ – WIPO Standard ST.16 which is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization.” This standard provides codes for…

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How should examiners handle numerical designations on patent documents?

According to MPEP 1851, examiners should handle numerical designations on patent documents as follows: “Numerical designations are sometimes found on published documents along with the letter code designation. These should be used by the examiner only if such numerical designation is on the document.” The MPEP further clarifies: Numerical codes along with letter codes can…

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