3.1 IPC classification of late-published search reports 

Where the search report is published separately from the application because it was not available in time and the search division finds it necessary to amend the assigned IPC classification for the reasons given in B‑V, 3, last paragraph, it will specify the new IPC classification on the search report and point out that it replaces the one on the published application (which then becomes merely the "classification for publication"). It will only change the IPC classification if it is quite certain that it is necessary.

Where a European patent application is classified and published without the European search report (A2 publication), the European search report is drawn up and published separately at a later stage (A3 publication). It can happen that a new edition of the IPC is published in the meantime. The search division will then use the IPC edition which was in force when the application was published for the search report.