European Classification scheme to be released in patstat april 2010

As announced at the Patent Statistics conference in Vienna 2009, PATSTAT should get an update by getting European Classification scheme (ECLA).

Recently Geert Boedt , from patstat helpdesk, announced in patstat forum this change will take palce in april 2010.

The way it will happen is through table TLS217_APPLN_I_CLS (contining previously national classifications like for MX, US...) to TLS217_APPLN_ECLA.

Four schemes are planned:

EC - known as ECLA, the European Classification scheme.

ICO- In Computer Only - an internal scheme used by the EPO for classifications which are planned for moving into ECLA at some stage

IDT - Indeling der Techniek , an old Dutch Patent Classification scheme.

ECNO - ECLA symbols which have been allocated to a document by a patent examiner who does not work for the EPO.