USPTO Bulk Downloads: Patent Classification Information

U.S. Patent Application Master Classification File (MCF)

These data sets are no longer being updated as of 2015. Please visit the USPTO's Electronic Bulk Data Products site for access to the latest downloads.

The U.S. Patent Application Master Classification File contains classification information on all patent applications published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The U.S Patent Application Master Classification File is available bimonthly (i.e., once every two months, usually by the second week in odd months).

This file is sorted by patent application document number sequence ascending. All of the Primary U.S. Classifications appear first followed by the Secondary U.S. Classifications.

USPatentApplMasterClassDocumentation.doc

mcfappl.zip

U.S. Patent Grant Master Classification File (MCF)

The U.S. Patent Grant Master Classification File contains classification information on all patent grants issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The U.S Patent Grant Master Classification File (MCF) is available bimonthly (i.e., once every two months, usually by the second week in odd months).

• MCFPAT – This file is sorted first by patent number ascending and second by original “O” U.S. patent classification ascending.
• MCFCLS – This file is sorted first by U.S. patent classification ascending and second by patent number ascending.

USPatentGrantMasterClassDocumentation.doc

mcfpat.zip  mcfcls.zip

U.S. Manual of Classification File (CTAF)

The U.S. Classification Text Attribute File (CTAF) contains the data from the Manual of Classification excluding notes. Data elements within a variable length record are defined below. The Manual of Classification File (CTAF) is available bimonthly (i.e., once every two months, usually by the second week in odd months).

USManualofClassDocumentation.doc

ctaf.zip

Index to the U.S. Patent Classification File (a.k.a., U.S. Classification Index File (CLASINDX))

The Index to the U.S. Patent Classification File is based on the system used by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to classify patents. It is an alphabetical list of 67,800+ subject headings referring to specific classes and subclasses of the patent classification system. The Index to the U.S. Patent Classification File is available bimonthly (i.e., once every two months, usually by the second week in odd months).

IndextoUSPatentClassDocumenatation.doc

clasindx.zip