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April 2019 - IT: Number format

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 3:41 pm
by EPO / Patent Data Services
Approximately 7 300 priority or application numbers in DOCDB from 2015 and 2016 are using a transitional number format of the kind:
UAYYYYNNNN(N) or UBYYYYNNNN(N)
- where YYYY is the year and NNNN(N) is a sequential number (4 or 5 digits) and
- where the letter A (patent) and U (utility model) is omitted and represented by the application kind code A and U respectively

The format provided by the Italian Patent Office (original format) is as follows:
UAYYYYANNNNNN or UBYYYYANNNNNN
- where YYYY is the year and NNNNNN is a sequential number (6 digits) and
- where the letter A (patent) and U (utility model) is included within the number

However, the IT Patent Office provided in this period patent application numbers in a new format with 15 characters (e.g. 102016000048159).

For more information or a concordance table, please contact Patent Data Services.

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