5. Classification of the patent application 

The main page of the report gives the IPC classification symbol(s) for the European patent application in accordance with B‑V, 3.

If the application is to be published before the search report is prepared (A2 publication, see B‑X, 4), the search division prepares supplemental sheet A before the publication of the application. In such cases, supplemental sheet A will contain all of the requisite information indicated in B‑X, 7 and also the IPC classification of the application (in cases where the application lacks unity, see B‑V, 3.3).

When subsequently the search report is established (A3 publication, see B‑X, 4), the IPC classification of the application is repeated on the separately published search report. Where the search division has modified the IPC classification (i.e. the IPC classification as given in the A2 published application differs from that given on the later published A3 search report – see B‑V, 3), it is this amended classification which will appear on the later published A3 search report (see B‑V, 3.1).