ICAR Research Data Repository for Knowledge Management

The International Patent Classification (IPC) is a precision classification tool made under the
guidelines of WIPO to organize information concerning inventions into an indexed, manageable
structure for easy retrieval of information and effective patent search mechanism for scientists and
patent examiners. IPC facilitates orderly arrangement of patent documents, selective dissemination of
information and effortless data retrieval and management. The classification is periodically revised
every five years and so far seven editions have been published. The IPC is recognized in more than
100 countries worldwide and covers a wide area of scope in all the fields of technology. Being coded
in a simple and easily manageable structure it can be effectively utilized by end users also. Although
several other classification systems are widely used, the IPC is the single internationally recognized
classification system, controlled by WIPO and assigned to patent documents by patent examiners