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902.01 Manual of Classification [R-3] - 900 Prior Art, Classification, >and< Search
902.01 Manual of Classification [R-3]
The Manual of Classification is the key to the U.S. Patent Classification System. **>The complete Manual of Classification is available to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page, which is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner's Toolkit. The Manual of Classification is also available via the Internet at http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification. The information in the Manual is updated every 2 months. In addition, the Manual of Classification is archived every June and December in PDF format on CD-ROM.<
There are over 400 classes in the U.S. Patent Classification System, each having a title descriptive of its subject matter and each being identified by a class number. Each class is subdivided into a number of subclasses. Each subclass bears a descriptive title and is identified by a subclass number. The subclass number may be an integral number or may contain a decimal portion and/or alpha characters. A complete identification of a subclass requires both the class and subclass number and any alpha or decimal designations; e.g., 417/161.1A identifies Class 417, Subclass 161.1A.
The Manual of Classification contains ordered arrangements of the class and subclass titles, referred to as class schedules. These titles are necessarily brief, although they are intended to be as suggestive as possible of subject matter included. Therefore, it is best not to depend exclusively upon titles to delineate the subject matter encompassed by a class or subclass. Reference to respective definitions and notes is essential. If a search is to be expeditious, accurate, and complete, the Manual of Classification should be used only as a key to the class or subclass definition and appended notes.
The Manual of Classification has the following parts:
(A) ** Overview of the classification system.
*>(B) <A hierarchical arrangement of class titles organized into four main groups by related subject matter. It should be noted that this hierarchy is to be used to determine document placement only as a last resort, i.e., when none of the other classification criteria, such as comprehensiveness, etc., allow placement. This part also includes an exact hierarchical listing of the synthetic resin and chemical compound classes.
*>(C) < A list, in numerical order, by art unit indicating the classification(s) assigned to each.
*>(D) < A list of classifications in numerical order by class number giving the class title, the art unit to which the art is assigned, and the examiner search room in which the art can be found.
*>(E) < A list of classes in alphabetical order by class title with associated class numbers.
*>(F) < Class schedules for utility patent **>, design, and plant classes.<
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