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Formatting Patent Numbers |
Introduction |
This section gives tips for formatting patent numbers for effective searching in STN Easy. |
Definition |
A patent number may be a
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Patent number formats |
Patent numbering formats vary depending on the country granting the patent. |
Patent-issuing authorities in these countries | Follow this patent numbering format: | ||
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United States (U.S.), EPO (EP), Canada (CA), Australia (AU), Germany (DE), for example | Continuous numbering | ||
Brazil (BR), Korea (KR), The Netherlands (NL), South Africa (ZA), WIPO (WO) | Western year numbering restart | ||
Japan (JP) | Unexamined applications (Kokai - kind code A) | Before Dec 1999 | Japanese emperor year numbering restart |
Year 2000 forward | Western year numbering restart | ||
Examined applications (Kokoku - kind code B) | Before May 1996 | Japanese emperor year numbering restart | |
May 1996 forward | Replaced by Toroku | ||
New law granted patents (Toroku - kind code B) | May 1996 forward | Continuous numbering |
Continuous numbering format |
These patent numbers follow this format: CCnnnnnnnn
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Western year numbering restart format |
These patent numbers follow a 2/4/6 format: CCYYYYNNNNNN
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