How are U.S. patents and patent application publications coded according to WIPO standards?

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Source: FAQ (MPEP-Based) BlueIron Update: 2024-09-27 10 Rules 5 Related FAQs This page is an FAQ based on guidance 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. According to MPEP 1851 , U.S. patents and patent application publications are coded as follows: U.S. patents published before January 2, 2001: Code A documents U.S. patents published on or after January 2, 2001: Code B documents Patent Application Publications (first published on March 15, 2001): Code A documents Reexamination certificates published before January 2, 2001: Code B documents Reexamination certificates published on or after January 2, 2001: Code C documents The MPEP states: “Tables providing a complete list of the kind codes of patents and other documents published by the USPTO are included in MPEP § 901.04(a).” Related Rules from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 10 rules Collapse Patent Application Publications Are Code A Documents MPEP 1851 Reexamination Certificates Before January 2, 2001 Are Code B Documents MPEP 1851 Reexamination Certificates Are Code C Documents After January 2, 2001 MPEP 1851 Patents Published After January 2, 2001 Are Code B MPEP 1851 Kind Codes for Pre-2001 Patents and Publications MPEP 1851 Kind Codes for USPTO Documents Required MPEP 1851 References Must Be Cited According to Administrative Instructions MPEP 1851 Required Guideline for Citing Patents and Published Applications MPEP 1851 Identification of Patent Documents Must Include Specific Elements MPEP 1851 Required Nonpatent Literature Is Code N MPEP 1851 Other Related FAQs 5 FAQs Collapse How should examiners handle numerical designations on patent documents? What are the key components for citing patent documents in international search reports? What are the components of a standard patent document citation according to MPEP 1851? What is WIPO Standard ST.16 and why is it important fo...