On June 20, 2017 EAPO hosted training on use of the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) for EAPO employees as one of activities under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO) relating to the Cooperative Patent Classification.

Mr. Frédéric Lequeux from the EPO delivered the lectures. The one-day training included information on the CPC structure, scheme and components, specific aspects of its use in different fields of technology, CPC information products available for patent offices, reference and teaching materials, as well as on matters related to maintenance and development of the classification.

A separate section of the training was devoted to the CPC classification principles and classification strategies used by examiners.

The Memorandum of Understanding relating to the Cooperative Patent Classification was signed by the EAPO and EPO Presidents on October 4, 2016. The MoU foresees that EAPO starts the classification of the frontfile Eurasian patent documents in compliance with CPC since January 1, 2019 and the back file of Eurasian patent documents – since January 1, 2020. Apart from the conducted general CPC training, the work plan on CPC introduction into EAPO also involves advanced CPC courses in different areas of technology to be held in 2018.