The reform of the IPC-consequences for the users

The reform of the International Patent Classification, scheduled to be launched in January 2006, will bring along a number of changes for patent classifiers and searchers. However, the practical consequences of these changes for the user of patent information are often less radical than they appear at first glance. In this article, the main features of the IPC reform are reviewed and are put into the context of present and future practice of classification and search.