Kind Codes

On January 2, 2001, the United States Patent and Trademark Office

(USPTO) began printing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standard

ST.16 code on each of its published patent documents. WIPO Standard ST.16 codes (kind

codes) include a letter, and in many cases a number, used to distinguish the kind of

patent document (e.g., publication of an application for a utility patent (patent

application publication), utility patent, plant patent application publication, plant

patent, or design patent) and the level of publication (e.g., first publication,

second publication, or corrected publication). Detailed information on Standard ST.16

and the use of kind codes by patent offices throughout the world is available on the

WIPO website at

www.wipo.int/scit/en

under the links for WIPO standards and other

documentation.

In addition, some kind codes assigned to existing USPTO patent

documents were changed because, beginning on March 15, 2001, patent application

publications began to be published weekly on Thursdays.

The tables below give a summary of the kind codes which are no

longer being used on certain published patent documents as well as a summary of the

kind codes which will be used on published patent documents after January 2, 2001. It

is recommended that USPTO documents be identified by the following three elements:

(A) the two-character country code (US for United States of America); (B) the patent

or publication number; and (C) the WIPO ST.16 kind code. For example, “US 7,654,321

B1” for U.S. Patent No. 7,654,321 where there was no previously published patent

application publication, and “US 2003/1234567 A1” for U.S. Patent Application

Publication No. 2003/1234567, in 2003. Each year the numbering of published patent

applications will begin again with the new four-digit year and the number 0000001, so

the number of a patent application publication must include an associated year

r U.S. Patent No. 7,654,321 where there was no previously published patent

application publication, and “US 2003/1234567 A1” for U.S. Patent Application

Publication No. 2003/1234567, in 2003. Each year the numbering of published patent

applications will begin again with the new four-digit year and the number 0000001, so

the number of a patent application publication must include an associated year.

Summary of USPTO Kind Codes No Longer Used as of January 2,

2001*

WIPO ST.16 Kind Codes

Kind of document

Comments

A

Patent

Kind code replaced by B1 or B2

P

Plant Patent

Kind code replaced by P2 or P3

B1, B2, B3...

Reexamination Certificate

Kind code replaced by C1, C2,

C3...

*See the table below for the new uses for codes B1 and B2 beginning

January 2, 2001.

Summary of USPTO Kind Codes Used on Documents Published Beginning

January 2, 2001

WIPO ST.16 Kind Codes

Kind of document

Comments

A1

Patent Application Publication

Pre-grant publication available March

2001

A2

Patent Application Publication

(Republication)

Pre-grant publication available March

2001

A9

Patent Application Publication

(Corrected Publication)

Pre-grant publication available March

2001

B1

Patent

No previously published pre-grant

publication

B2

Patent

Having a previously published pre-grant

publication and available March 2001

C1, C2, C3, ...

Reexamination Certificate

Previously used codes B1 and B2 are now

used for granted Patents

E

Reissue Patent

No change

H

Statutory Invention Registration

(SIR)

No change

P1

Plant Patent Publication

Application

Pre-grant publication available March

2001

P2

Plant Patent

No previously published pre-grant

publication

P3

Plant Patent

Having a previously published pre-grant

publication and available March 2001

P4

Plant Patent Application Publication

(Republication)

Pre-grant publication available after

March 2001

P9

Plant Patent Application Publication

(Corrected Publication)

Pre-grant publication available March

2001

S

Design Patent

No change

Summary of USPTO

Kind Codes Associated with AIA Trials

WIPO ST.16 Kind

Code

Kind

tent

Having a previously published pre-grant

publication and available March 2001

P4

Plant Patent Application Publication

(Republication)

Pre-grant publication available after

March 2001

P9

Plant Patent Application Publication

(Corrected Publication)

Pre-grant publication available March

2001

S

Design Patent

No change

Summary of USPTO

Kind Codes Associated with AIA Trials

WIPO ST.16 Kind

Code

Kind of

Document

J

Post-Grant Review

Certificate

K

Inter Partes Review

Certificate

O

Derivation

Certificate