Zusammenfassung der Änderungen
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- Under IPC8, the dynamic “advanced level”, can be updated continuously, if necessary, every three months, enabling experienced users to make accurate searches for new technology with an up-to-date, detailed classification scheme. All International Search Authorities and other large patent offices classify their documents in the advanced level.
- For users with less advanced requirements or experience, the "core level" is a relatively stable subset of about 20 000 entries. In the core level, symbols are only changed when absolutely necessary, eg due to emerging technology. The update period is three years. Some small and medium-sized patent offices classify their documents according to the core level. However, in the search databases, all published patent documents have a core-level IPC classification (in addition to any advanced-level classification given), so complete searches in this simplified system are always possible.
- Whenever the IPC is changed, older documents published under an earlier version are reclassified. In other words, it is possible to search all documents by using the symbols of the IPC version in force.
- Additional definitions are also available in IPC8 on a field-by-field basis, similar to those used in the US Patent Classification system.
- The new IPC includes systematic classification of "additional information" on top of the classification directly related to the claimed invention.