1 January 2020 - Changes in Classifications - Trademarks, Designs, Patents and Utility Models

As of 1 January 2020 you should be aware that various (international) classifactions have been updated again and have come into force. Classifications serve to index the content of intellectual property rights and documents. The aim is to standardize and to allow for content-driven retrieval, independent of the language of the respective document or the catchwords used. Classifications are important for systemizing IP searches in the corresponding databases, enabling to retrieve detailed and correct information.

linkedin_time_to_update_shutterstock_1215809875_1.jpg

Here is a quick overview of the relevant IP rights and the classifications:

- TRADEMARKS

On 1 January, the 2020 version of the 11th edition of the Nice Classification entered into force, updating the 11th edition of the Nice Classification (NCL 11-2019) from 1 January 2019.

- DESIGNS

The official product list Design 2020 came into force on 1 January 2020, the 12th edition of the Locarno Classification already on 1 January 2019, replacing all previous editions of the classification and product lists.

- PATENTS and UTILITY MODELS - IPC version 2020.01

As of January 1, 2020, the IPC has more than 1,100 new entries. It now has a total of 75,548 main groups and subgroups. This is about 6,000 more than 10 years ago. Our "IPC Revisions" subpage provides an overview of the most important changes.

For more information please be referred to the link at: German Patent and Trademark Office