Tricks of the trade: Keep calm and classify - understanding the International Patent Classification (IPC)

You're probably already lacing up your running shoes at the very thought of the mention of the International Patent Classification (IPC), but please stick around; I promise this will be almost painless.

If you're like me, your introduction to the IPC was a seemingly random string of letters and numbers rolling off someone's tongue. It made no sense at the time, and yet, despite the years, when one might think they have it down pat, there are still times when it's a head scratcher.

I'm going to try to help you, firstly, find the right patent classification for your idea, and secondly, help you use that information in a meaningful way, but before all that, a few letters and numbers.