Patent Examination Times by Classification

 

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Patent Examination Times by Classification

The following classification is the first classification for published
patents/applications as used by CIPO and described by
WIPO.

Time (in years) is measured from the request for examination to issuance for patents issued in a given year.

Classification 2002 2007 2011
Time (years) Sample Size Time (years) Sample Size % change Time (years) Sample Size % change
A61- MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE 4.1 1382 4.6 2587 12.2% 4.3 3303 -6.5%
C07- ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 4.2 997 5.1 1172 21.4% 4.3 1941 -15.7%
H04- ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE 3.7 1067 4.4 1139 18.9% 4.9 1375 11.4%
C12- BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING 4.6 529 6.4 628 39.1% 6.4 1107 0.0%
G01- MEASURING 3.7 628 4.3 728 16.2% 4.4 796 2.3%
H01- BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS 3.4 593 4.2 426 23.5% 3.9 671 -7.1%
C08- ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON 4.4 574 4.9 595 11.4% 4.0 670 -18.4%
E21- EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING 3.8 166 3.7 607 -2.6% 3.1 663 -16.2%
G06- COMPUTING; CALCULATING; COUNTING 3.4 440 4.5 362 32.4% 5.0 633 11.1%
B65- CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL 4.2 374 3.9 831 -7.1% 3.1 593 -20.5%
B01- PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL 3.7 308 4.0 523 8.1% 3.3 552 -17.5%
F16- ENGINEERING ELEMENTS OR UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL 3.7 294 4.0 524 8.1% 3.3 414 -17.5%
A01- AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING 3.5 301 4.0 456 14.3% 4.0 382 0.0%
A47- FURNITURE 3.5 193 3.8 332 8.6% 3.1 323 -18.4%
A23- FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES 3.8 185 4.4 144 15.8% 4.1 316 -6.8%
C09- DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS 4.2 156 4.6 287 9.5% 3.8 315 -17.4%
B60- VEHICLES IN GENERAL 3.5 247 3.5 381 0.0% 3.3 284 -5.7%
C10- PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT 3.6 83 4.5 151 25.0% 3.9 243 -13.3%
E04- BUILDING 3.3 151 3.9 246 18.2% 3.1 232 -20.5%
B29- WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL 3.0 176 3.8 299 26.7% 3.0 224 -21.1%
H02- GENERATION, CONVERSION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER 3.3 157 3.7 193 12.1% 4.1 219 10.8%
B23- MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR 3.1 87 3.5 211 12.9% 3.2 199 -8.6%
D21- PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE 4.7 78 4.8 226 2.1% 3.6 168 -25.0%
G02- OPTICS 3.9 211 4.1 252 5.1% 4.0 160 -2.4%
B32- LAYERED PRODUCTS 4.1 125 4.3 134 4.9% 4.1 158 -4.7%
C11- ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES 3.9 115 5.1 138 30.8% 4.1 153 -19.6%
C01- INORGANIC CHEMISTRY 3.6 85 4.3 92 19.4% 3.9 144 -9.3%
B62- LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS 3.3 65 3.7 133 12.1% 2.8 143 -24.3%
F02- COMBUSTION ENGINES 3.2 67 3.5 140 9.4% 3.2 141 -8.6%
E05- LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES 3.2 53 3.5 99 9.4% 3.0 138 -14.3%
B64- AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS 4.1 22 3.8 93 -7.3% 3.0 130 -21.1%
B21- MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL 3.5 61 3.7 105 5.7% 2.8 125 -24.3%
C22- METALLURGY 4.2 96 4.8 102 14.3% 4.1 124 -14.6%
F01- MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL 3.9 84 4.2 110 7.7% 3.1 120 -26.2%
F04- POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS 3.3 78 4.0 100 21.2% 3.1 118 -22.5%
A63- SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS 4.3 51 3.6 148 -16.3% 3.5 103 -2.8%
C04- CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES 4.2 61 4.7 105 11.9% 4.0 98 -14.9%
F25- REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION OR SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES 3.4 83 3.8 102 11.8% 3.0 96 -21.1%
C02- TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE 3.9 76 4.7 87 20.5% 4.2 96 -10.6%
H05- ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR 3.6 109 3.9 79 8.3% 4.2 88 7.7%
B41- PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS 4.7 86 3.9 118 -17.0% 3.7 86 -5.1%
F21- LIGHTING 2.8 47 3.5 64 25.0% 2.8 83 -20.0%
C23- COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL 4.1 60 4.4 102 7.3% 3.3 83 -25.0%
B22- CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY 4.3 66 4.5 89 4.7% 3.1 81 -31.1%
C25- ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR 4.3 22 4.7 43 9.3% 4.1 81 -12.8%
F24- HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING 3.7 58 3.5 123 -5.4% 3.6 79 2.9%
B66- HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING 3.7 33 3.9 54 5.4% 3.3 78 -15.4%
B05- SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL 4.3 63 5.0 92 16.3% 4.1 77 -18.0%
C03- GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL 4.1 69 4.6 70 12.2% 4.4 75 -4.3%
G05- CONTROLLING; REGULATING 2.7 44 3.6 106 33.3% 3.4 72 -5.6%
F23- COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES 3.9 31 4.9 96 25.6% 3.2 71 -34.7%
G10- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS 4.0 72 4.5 44 12.5% 4.8 71 6.7%
G11- INFORMATION STORAGE 2.5 104 3.7 67 48.0% 5.5 70 48.6%
G09- EDUCATING; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS 4.1 66 4.3 99 4.9% 3.8 69 -11.6%
H03- BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY 3.1 86 4.1 93 32.3% 4.7 68 14.6%
E06- DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS, IN GENERAL; LADDERS 2.9 49 3.3 96 13.8% 2.7 67 -18.2%
G07- CHECKING-DEVICES 4.1 80 4.0 57 -2.4% 4.9 63 22.5%
B26- HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING 3.5 42 3.5 46 0.0% 3.0 62 -14.3%
E01- CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES 3.0 37 4.0 126 33.3% 3.3 62 -17.5%
C21- METALLURGY OF IRON 3.7 22 4.8 27 29.7% 3.7 61 -22.9%
G08- SIGNALLING 2.4 72 4.0 42 66.7% 3.8 61 -5.0%
B25- HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; HANDLES FOR HAND IMPLEMENTS; WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT; MANIPULATORS 3.1 36 4.0 79 29.0% 3.6 61 -10.0%
B63- SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT 3.8 36 3.9 98 2.6% 2.7 60 -30.8%
E02- HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL-SHIFTING 3.5 58 3.5 97 0.0% 3.7 59 5.7%
D06- TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR 3.7 55 3.9 86 5.4% 3.7 57 -5.1%
B61- RAILWAYS 3.4 68 3.5 74 2.9% 3.0 56 -14.3%
F03- MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS 3.3 9 3.5 40 6.1% 3.2 56 -8.6%
B27- WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL 3.2 44 3.5 81 9.4% 3.1 54 -11.4%
F41- WEAPONS 4.0 23 3.5 57 -12.5% 2.6 50 -25.7%
G03- PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY 3.4 98 4.3 47 26.5% 4.0 49 -7.0%
A62- LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING 4.0 23 4.2 62 5.0% 3.3 48 -21.4%
A21- BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS 3.9 15 3.2 35 -17.9% 4.3 45 34.4%
A41- WEARING APPAREL 3.9 8 3.9 42 0.0% 3.0 44 -23.1%
B02- CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING 3.8 11 3.5 31 -7.9% 2.7 42 -22.9%
F28- HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL 4.5 13 4.0 34 -11.1% 3.4 40 -15.0%
B03- SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS 3.3 23 4.4 16 33.3% 3.0 40 -31.8%
B24- GRINDING; POLISHING 4.0 24 3.7 37 -7.5% 3.4 37 -8.1%
A45- HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES 3.6 24 4.5 34 25.0% 3.4 35 -24.4%
B07- SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING 3.7 27 3.2 39 -13.5% 3.0 34 -6.3%
B67- OPENING OR CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING 3.6 49 3.8 42 5.6% 4.2 33 10.5%
B42- BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER 2.9 15 3.9 41 34.5% 3.5 33 -10.3%
C30- CRYSTAL GROWTH 3.5 7 4.4 7 25.7% 3.4 31 -22.7%
D01- NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING 3.5 28 3.9 18 11.4% 3.5 30 -10.3%
A43- FOOTWEAR 3.3 17 4.1 40 24.2% 3.1 30 -24.4%
D04- BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS 3.7 21 3.8 56 2.7% 3.1 27 -18.4%
E03- WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE 4.0 15 3.4 58 -15.0% 3.3 26 -2.9%
F17- STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS 3.4 20 3.4 43 0.0% 3.0 26 -11.8%
F27- FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS 3.8 12 3.8 20 0.0% 2.9 25 -23.7%
F15- FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL 3.4 11 3.6 21 5.9% 3.3 25 -8.3%
B31- MAKING PAPER ARTICLES; WORKING PAPER 3.0 26 3.8 27 26.7% 3.6 22 -5.3%
B28- WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE 2.5 10 3.2 13 28.0% 4.1 21 28.1%
A24- TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SMOKERS’ REQUISITES 3.9 11 4.4 27 12.8% 3.4 20 -22.7%
G21- NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING 3.2 14 4.4 16 37.5% 4.0 20 -9.1%
A22- BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH 3.2 10 3.3 26 3.1% 2.9 20 -12.1%
F42- AMMUNITION; BLASTING 3.2 16 3.6 53 12.5% 2.7 17 -25.0%
B30- PRESSES 4.4 15 4.0 19 -9.1% 2.8 16 -30.0%
C05- FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF 3.4 9 3.7 25 8.8% 3.7 16 0.0%
B08- CLEANING 3.9 16 4.9 26 25.6% 3.2 15 -34.7%
B43- WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES 3.5 13 3.5 18 0.0% 3.4 14 -2.9%
A46- BRUSHWARE 4.1 14 3.9 19 -4.9% 3.3 13 -15.4%
B04- CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES 3.2 4 4.2 21 31.2% 2.9 13 -31.0%
D03- WEAVING 3.0 2 3.9 20 30.0% 3.1 13 -20.5%
B09- DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL 4.1 9 3.1 12 -24.4% 2.5 12 -19.4%
F26- DRYING 3.0 13 3.7 29 23.3% 3.2 10 -13.5%
B44- DECORATIVE ARTS 3.7 9 4.1 20 10.8% 3.7 9 -9.8%
F22- STEAM GENERATION 5.2 4 3.7 19 -28.8% 2.8 9 -24.3%
A42- HEADWEAR 2.4 2 4.0 22 66.7% 2.9 8 -27.5%
A44- HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY 2.9 9 3.4 15 17.2% 2.8 7 -17.6%
C06- EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES 3.5 10 4.4 8 25.7% 3.9 7 -11.4%
D07- ROPES; CABLES OTHER THAN ELECTRIC 0 3.4 8 3.1 7 -8.8%
G04- HOROLOGY 3.1 5 4.1 5 32.3% 4.3 4 4.9%
D05- SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING 4.9 3 4.4 4 -10.2% 3.1 4 -29.5%
B68- SADDLERY; UPHOLSTERY 2.0 1 3.7 9 85.0% 3.1 3 -16.2%
C13- SUGAR INDUSTRY 4.5 4 5.0 5 11.1% 3.8 3 -24.0%
D02- YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING 4.8 1 3.7 14 -22.9% 3.3 3 -10.8%
B81- MICRO-STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY [7] 0 0 6.5 3
B82- NANO-TECHNOLOGY [7] 0 4.2 1 3.5 1 -16.7%
B06- GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL 3.9 2 4.5 3 15.4% 6.9 1 53.3%
C14- SKINS; HIDES; PELTS; LEATHER 3.5 1 3.7 2 5.7% 3.1 1 -16.2%
G12- INSTRUMENT DETAILS 4.3 3 0 2.9 1 -32.6%

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