Title page
Contents
I. FOREWORD 2
II. LAYOUT OF CLASSIFICATION SYMBOLS 4
III. HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF THE CLASSIFICATION 7
IV. PRESENTATION OF CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES 8
V. USER INFORMATION 14
VI. TERMINOLOGY 16
VII. SCOPE OF PLACES; FILE SCOPE OF GROUPS 18
VIII. PRINCIPLES OF THE CLASSIFICATION 21
IX. MULTIPLE CLASSIFICATION; HYBRID SYSTEMS 29
X. OBLIGATORY CLASSIFICATION; NON-OBLIGATORY CLASSIFICATION AND INDEXING 31
XI. RULES FOR SELECTING CLASSIFICATION PLACES 33
XII. PRESENTATION OF CLASSIFICATION SYMBOLS AND INDEXING CODES ON PATENT DOCUMENTS 37
XIII. SPECIAL CLASSIFICATION PLACES FOR SUBJECT MATTER NOT ADEQUATELY COVERED IN THE IPC 39
XIV. USE OF THE IPC FOR SEARCH PURPOSES 40
XV. RECLASSIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION 42
XVI. GLOSSARY 42