Kind Codes

WIPO Standard ST. 16 codes (kind codes) include a letter, and in many cases a number, used to distinguish the kind of patent document (e.g., publication of an application for a utility patent (patent application publication), patent, plant patent application publication, plant patent, or design patent) and the level of publication (e.g., first publication, second publication, or corrected publication).

Detailed information on Standard ST. 16 and the use of kind codes by patent offices throughout the world is available on the WIPO web site, under the links for WIPO standards and other documentation.

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Last reviewed October 2023