What are the main features of the IPC reform?

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The key features of the new IPC are:

Changes to the IPC scheme will no longer be put on hold for up to five years until the next edition is published. This dynamic IPC, called the “advanced level”, will be continuously updated, if necessary, every three months, enabling experienced users to make more accurate searches for new technology with an up-to-date, detailed classification scheme.
For users with less advanced requirements or experience, there will be a relatively stable subset of about 20 000 entries, known as the “core level”. In the core level, symbols will only be changed when absolutely necessary, eg due to emerging technology. The update period is three years. All published patent documents will have a core-level IPC classification (in addition to any advanced-level classification given), so complete searches in this simplified system will be possible.
Whenever the IPC is changed, older documents published under an earlier version will be reclassified. In other words, it will be possible to search all documents by using the symbols of the latest IPC version.
Additional definitions will be available: the US Patent Classification system, for example, has extensive sets of definitions. Similar definitions will be developed and incorporated into the new IPC on a field-by-field basis.
The new IPC will include systematic classification of additional information on top of the classification directly related to the claimed invention.

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