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CPC Class Not Allocatable
C12

BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING

Description

C12 covers biochemical processes and biotechnological applications, including fermentation-based production of beverages (beer, spirits, wine, vinegar), microbial cultivation and microbiology, enzyme technology, and genetic modification techniques. The class encompasses both traditional fermentation industries and modern biotechnology involving microorganisms, enzyme catalysis, and DNA manipulation for industrial and research purposes. This classification excludes purely chemical synthesis processes (covered under C07) and focuses on biological systems and living organism-based transformations.

Filing statistics

CPC C12 recorded 1,399,094 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 12 subclasses. Annual filings grew from 85,850 in 2013 to 136,441 in 2023 (+59%), peaking at 151,628 applications in 2021. The most active applicants in class C12 are HARVARD UNIVERSITY (8,321 applications), CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (7,486 applications) and UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (7,320 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

12 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filings, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. HARVARD UNIVERSITY US 8,321
  2. CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 7,486
  3. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA US 7,320
  4. REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS US 5,003
  5. INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE) FR 4,292
  6. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA US 4,213
  7. CNRS (CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE) FR 4,113
  8. JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 3,961
  9. ROCHE CH 3,792
  10. ILLUMINA US 3,692