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903.02(a) New and Revised Classes - 900 Prior Art, Classification, Search
903.02(a) New and Revised Classes
The establishment of new classes or subclasses and the revision of old classes are done under the supervision of a patent classifier.
The classifier performing the reclassification is provided with a set of patent copies of the present classification. With these copies, by study and successive groupings, he or she develops an arrangement of the patents which is satisfactory for searching. Usually expert examiner opinion is sought.
The definition of the new class or revised class is written or modified, the lines between the class and other classes are drawn up, and the subclass definitions are established.
The Index to the U.S. Classification System and the Classification Data System files are also updated.
Notification of the new class or subclass is published in a classification order, and supplementary sheets necessary to correct the looseleaf Manual of Classification are published.
Definitions of all revised classes and subclasses are included in classification orders.
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