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<h2 id="in-the-european-patent-office">In the European Patent Office</h2> <p>The <a href="/facts/European_Patent_Office/T7ExjvB1">European Patent Office</a> (EPO) uses kind codes such as the following. Kind codes for patent applications begin with A and include </p> <ul><li>A1, for an application published with a European search report;</li> <li>A2, for an application published without a European search report; and</li> <li>A3, for a later publication of the European search report.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a></li></ul> <p>Kind codes for granted patents begin with B and chiefly include B1 for a European patent specification (granted patent).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="in-japan">In Japan</h2> <p>The <a href="/facts/Japan_Patent_Office/XXKE78v8">Japan Patent Office</a> (JPO) uses kind codes including </p> <ul><li>A for publications of patent applications; and</li> <li>B1 and B2 for publications of granted patents.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="in-the-united-states">In the United States</h2> <p>In the United States, effective January 2, 2001, the kind codes indicate a variety of documents published by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Patent_and_Trademark_Office/97KdJB6h">United States Patent and Trademark Office</a> (USPTO), most importantly patent application publications and patents. The kind codes include </p> <ul><li>A1, for a patent application publication (pre-grant publication);</li> <li>B1, for a patent issuing from an application that was not previously published as a pre-grant publication; and</li> <li>B2, for a patent issuing from an application that was previously published as a pre-grant publication.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></li></ul> <p>Before January 2, 2001, the kind code for issued patents was A.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="pct-documents">PCT documents</h2> <p>For publication of international patent applications filed under the <a href="/facts/Patent_Cooperation_Treaty/1lfL8Hfw">Patent Cooperation Treaty</a>, the kind codes include </p> <ul><li>A1 for an application published with an international search report (ISR);</li> <li>A2 for an application published without an ISR; and</li> <li>A3 for later publication of the ISR.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></li></ul> <ul><li> This article incorporates <a href="/facts/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States/Q1jvr96g">public domain material</a> from websites or documents of the <a href="/facts/United_States_government/VJCxUaf7">United States government</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Kind Codes" Included on the USPTO Patent Documents, from the United States Patent and Trademark Office <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Standard ST.16, from the World Intellectual Property Organization <a href="https://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/standards/en/pdf/03-16-01.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/standards/en/pdf/03-16-01.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Kind Codes" Included on the USPTO Patent Documents, from the United States Patent and Trademark Office <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Kind Codes" Included on the USPTO Patent Documents, from the United States Patent and Trademark Office <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Kind codes, from the European Patent Office <a href="https://register.epo.org/help?lng=en&topic=kindcodes" target="_blank">https://register.epo.org/help?lng=en&topic=kindcodes</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Kind codes, from the European Patent Office <a href="https://register.epo.org/help?lng=en&topic=kindcodes" target="_blank">https://register.epo.org/help?lng=en&topic=kindcodes</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>JP Authority File, from the Japan Patent Office <a href="https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/system/laws/koho/internet/authorityfile.html" target="_blank">https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/system/laws/koho/internet/authorityfile.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Kind Codes" Included on the USPTO Patent Documents, from the United States Patent and Trademark Office <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"Kind Codes" Included on the USPTO Patent Documents, from the United States Patent and Trademark Office <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent" target="_blank">https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Kind Codes <a href="https://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/data/kind_codes.html" target="_blank">https://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/data/kind_codes.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>