IPA patent 6.1.3.2-preliminary-classification — IP Australia Patent Manual of Practice and Procedure – 6.1.3.2 Preliminary Classification

Also in this Chapter: 6.1.3.1 Allocation Related Chapters: RIO - Classification Tasks RIO - Processing Classification Tasks The search examiner should give a high priority to the task of preliminarily classifying a case so that the determination of the search strategy by the search strategy team is not delayed. If another section is involved in the classification, they should give the case a similar priority. A final determination of the classification can be made at a later stage, but must at the latest be made at the time of preparing the International Search Report. When acting as an International Search Authority this Office assigns obligatory ‘invention information’ International Patent Classification (IPC) symbols in accordance with the rules as set forth in: the Guide to the IPC the IPC itself (Edition of the IPC in force at the time of the assignment). Non-obligatory IPC classifications, such as the optional IPC indexing codes, are not applied.