ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

International Patent Classification

International patent classification is a system that helps people organize and categorize inventions. Imagine you have a big toy box with lots of different toys inside. If you wanted to find a specific toy, it would be helpful to separate the toys into different groups based on what they do. For example, you might put all the cars together, and all the dolls together, and all the blocks together. This way, when you want to find a toy car, you can go straight to that group instead of searching through the entire box.

International patent classification works the same way, but instead of toys, it helps people organize inventions. Inventions are ideas or things that people create to make life easier or better. Some inventions might be machines, like a car or a blender. Others might be ideas, like a new way to make medicine or a new recipe for a dessert. When someone invents something, they can apply for a patent, which is like a special permission slip that lets them be the only one who can make or use the invention.

But there are a lot of patents out there, and it's important to be able to find the right one if you want to learn more about an invention or make sure your own invention is original. That's where international patent classification comes in. Just like grouping toys together, it groups patents together based on what they are. For example, there might be a group for patents related to machines, and another group for patents related to medicine. Within those groups, there are more specific subgroups, like a group for machines that help with cleaning, or a group for medicines that help with heart disease.

When someone applies for a patent, they have to tell the patent office what group and subgroup their invention fits into. This way, anyone who wants to look up patents related to a specific type of invention can easily find them. It's like having a big organized library where you can search for books on a certain topic.

International patent classification is used all around the world, so no matter where you are, you can use it to find patents related to your interests or your own invention. It helps make the whole world of invention and innovation easier to navigate and explore.