Request for Comments on Proposed Elimination of Patents Search Templates
The USPTO is proposing to eliminate the Patents Search Templates from the USPTO Web site. In 2006, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented Patents Search Templates, which are United States Patent Classification (USPC) indexed search templates that were created to better identify the field of search, search tools, and search methodologies which should be considered each time an invention related to a particular USPC is searched. There are over 1200 search templates covering more than 600 USPC classes and subclasses. Historically, usage of the search templates by the public has been extremely low. Additionally, various aspects of the search templates, such as references to commercial database vendor information, are in need of updating. Further, the USPTO launched a new classification system, the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system, in January 2013 that is based on the International Patent Classification (IPC) system. The CPC, a joint patent classification system developed by the USPTO and the European Patent Office (EPO), incorporates the best classification practices of both the U.S. and European systems. Since CPC is a detailed, collaborative, and dynamic system that will enable patent examiners and the public to efficiently conduct thorough patent searches, the search templates will become obsolete. Before eliminating the search templates from the USPTO Web site, the Office is requesting comments from the public.
- Task
- Read the news
- Patent or trademark
- both
- Legacy system
- —
- Current entry point
- www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/10/30/2013-25685/request-for-comments-on-proposed-elimination-of-patents-search-templates (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
- Legacy system and where it moved
- No legacy system name mention in title or summary )
- Fee
- No fee mention in title or summary )
- What you need (account or API key)
- No account or key mention in title or summary )
- Published
- 2013-10-30
- Document type
- Notice
- Source
- USPTO documents published in the Federal Register (Federal Register API)(retrieved 2026-10-06)
Everything in the same category
Read the news (all 1988) · both (all 2333)
Related entry points
- Elimination of Patents Search Templates
- Changes To Practice for Continuing Applications, Requests for Continued Examination Practice, and Applications Containing Patentably Indistinct Claims
- Request for Comments on Patents Search Templates
- Notice of Public Hearing and Request for Comments on Matters Related to the Harmonization of Substantive Patent Law
- Disclaimer Practice in Patents and Patent Applications
- Request for Comments Regarding the Continuation of the Accelerated Examination Program
- Changes to Practice for the Examination of Claims in Patent Applications
- Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
- Notice Regarding the Elimination of the Fee for Petitions To Make Special Filed Under the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Programs
- Changes To Information Disclosure Statement Requirements and Other Related Matters
- Changes To Require Identification of Attributable Owner
- Changes to Eliminate the Disclosure Document Program
- Request for Comments and Notice of Roundtable Event on Leveraging Electronic Resources To Retrieve Information From Applicant's Other Applications and Streamline Patent Issuance
- Pilot Program for Extended Time Period To Reply to a Notice To File Missing Parts of Nonprovisional Application
- Request for Submission of Topics for USPTO Quality Case Studies
- Request for Comments on Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Practice