CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF HIDES, SKINS OR LEATHER, e.g. TANNING, IMPREGNATING, FINISHING; APPARATUS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS FOR TANNING (bleaching of leather or furs D06L; dyeing of leather or furs D06P)

Description

C14C covers chemical, enzymatic, and microbiological processing of animal skins, hides, and leather, including tanning, impregnation, and finishing operations. This subclass encompasses tanning agents and compositions (mineral, vegetable, synthetic), enzymes and microorganisms used in leather processing, and apparatus designed for treatment applications. It addresses both traditional and modern leather production methods, including hide preservation, coloration, water-resistance treatment, and surface finishing. Related mechanical or preparatory treatments of raw hides are classified separately under C14B.

Filing statistics

CPC subclass C14C recorded 5,302 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 175 in 2013 to 317 in 2023 (+81%), peaking at 739 applications in 2017. The most active applicants in class C14 are SHAANXI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (183 applications), SICHUAN UNIVERSITY (135 applications) and XINGYE LEATHER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY (93 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings