EPO – Principal Directorate Business Services – Directorate Classification
Project: M0751
Subject: Shaping or joining of plastics
or substances in a plastic state, in
general
Comments
Ref.:
IPC: B29C
9th February 2015
Annex 13 of project file
Background
EPO thanks the IPC community for its patience in this project. The subject matter is not very easy,
and careful discussion and consideration with the EPO experts and the CPC partner USPTO was
needed. As a result of these discussion rounds, EPO submits its suggestions below.
Proposal
EPO suggest the following to clarify the scope of B29C

The scope of B29C (and presumably B29, B29B, B29D) should be clarified by adding a note.
There is no need to delete or amend the middle part of the title of B29C (cf. Shaping or
joining of plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general).

For the content of the note, EPO suggests the following (to be added to the current IPC B29C
notes):
This group covers:
 the shaping or joining of plastics
 the shaping or joining of materials in a plastic state, whereby the used material is not
specified or referring to a plurality of materials, whereby the shaping or joining is considered
to be suitable for being applied to plastics
This group does not cover:
 the working of plastics sheet material in a manner analogous to the working of paper, which
is covered by class B31
 the shaping or joining of materials in a plastic state for which a specific subclass is being
provided within the IPC

The current IPC definition of B29C should be deleted. An appropriate definition in line with
the current notes should be the subject of the project D271 that is currently on hold.

The IPC glossary of plastics (n) should be corrected, since it currently comprises subjectmatter like nucleic acid compounds. The same applies to Note (2) of B29. It should be
changed from
2. In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
"plastics" means macromolecular compounds or compositions based on such compounds.
into
"plastics" means macromolecular compounds or compositions based on such compounds that can
be shaped or are mouldable.

The hyperlinks at the IPC internet page
http://web2.wipo.int/ipcpub/#refresh=page&notion=scheme&version=20150101&symbol=B
29
should be corrected. The nouns (cf. shaping of plastics) should link to the glossary plastics (n) and
the adjectives (cf. in a plastic state) should link to plastic (a).

If needed, reference to B29(C) provided elsewhere in the IPC should be corrected in
accordance with the notes as being suggested above.
Maarten Alink
EPO Classification Board