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902.02 Class and Subclass Definitions [R-5] - 900 Prior Art, Classification, and Search
902.02 Class and Subclass Definitions [R-5]
All of the utility classes (i.e., classes devoted to technology), and the plant class have definitions. All design classes will * eventually have definitions.
Definitions state the subject matter of the classes and subclasses **>in much more detail than it is possible to state in the brief< class and subclass titles. A study of the definitions is essential to determine the proper classification of subject matter within the U.S. Patent Classification System >(USPC)<.
All classes and subclasses (class definitions) in the **>USPC< are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Search Classification Data. The Classification Home Page >(http://ptoweb:8081/)< is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner's Toolkit. The >class< definitions are archived >in portable document formats (PDFs)< to CD-ROM every June and December.
It should be noted that classification orders frequently affect existing definitions. Personal sets of definitions used by examiners should be periodically revised to reflect >these< changes. Classification Orders are available online to USPTO personnel from the Classification Home Page under the heading Classification Reports. The Classification Home Page is accessible from the desktop via the Patent Examiner's Toolkit.
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