Manual of Patent Examining Procedure - MPEP

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900 Prior Art, Classification, and Search

902.03(a) Patent Classification Home Page on the Internet

The Patent Classification Home Page address on the Internet is http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/opc/ . The site is the clearinghouse for classification information published in Hyper-Text Mark-up Language (HTML) and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The site currently includes the Index to the U.S. Patent Classification (USPC) system, USPC Manual of Classification (classification schedules) and Classification Definitions in HTML and PDF formats. The site integrates with the USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database site by allowing a search of a subclass by clicking on a patent icon in the classification schedules and definitions which generates a search result in the USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database . The USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database provides full-text of all US patents issued since January 1, 1976, and full-page images of each page of every US patent issued since 1790. Therefore , it is possible to see every patent in a subclass by browsing the classification schedules using the Classification Home Page in combination with the USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database .

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