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% | |