European Classification (ECLA)
Aspects of ECLA
- Based on the International Patent Classification (IPC); it includes ALL of the IPC, i.e., all 8 sections, all classes, subclasses, groups and subgroups, but with deeper breakdown
- Used for classification and searching by Examiners in the European Patent Office, including Munich, Berlin, The Hague, Stockholm, Vienna, and Rome
- Written in English, French and German
- Updated often, depending upon subject area; more often than IPC and far more often than USCS
- Considerably more user-friendly than the USCS
- ECLA classification can easily be included in search query page of Espace database