 IPC revision - the futureJ. Calvert World Patent Information, 1999, vol. 21, issue 2, 85-87 Abstract: This article provides a broad overview of the current position of the International Patent Classification (IPC). Following 30 years of intensive development and improvement, it is applied by the vast majority of patent and intellectual property offices around the world. But there remain problems, for example the inconsistencies of application of specific terms, the use of different editions, little backlogging, and differences in depth of coverage - both technically and chronologically. Other problems arise from the length and formality of the revision process, which prevent the International Patent Classification (IPC) reacting sufficiently rapidly to changes of technology in the patents themselves or to changes in information retrieval technology, to the use of the Internet or to the use of commercial electronic databases. Four steps to alleviate these problems are proposed: - reduce the revision period from 5 to 3 years; - modernise the procedural aspects of the revision process; - discontinue the practice of translation into the second authentic text language in the course of the revision process; - move away from the concept of a "single pigeon-hole" for each patent specification, to a more flexible, electronically based hybrid system with wider classification and obligatory indexing. Date: 1999 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:worpat:v:21:y:1999:i:2:p:85-87 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article World Patent Information is currently edited by Michael Blackman More articles in World Patent Information from Elsevier |
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