PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Class:: PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
Subclass:: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING

Description

B41M covers printing and duplicating technologies that produce images or text on substrates through various mechanical and chemical processes. This subclass encompasses traditional printing methods (relief, intaglio, lithography), marking systems, copying technologies, and color printing techniques. It includes processes for applying inks, dyes, or other colorants to create visible marks, including electrostatic copying, thermal printing, and specialty marking applications. Related image formation technologies are classified elsewhere, such as in B41J for inkjet printing or G03 for photographic/electrostatic processes.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass B41M recorded 51,201 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 4,742 in 2013 to 3,298 in 2023 (-30%), peaking at 5,357 applications in 2018. The most active applicants in class B41 are SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION (14,672 applications), CANON (14,153 applications) and RICOH COMPANY (8,049 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Related Keywords

making FACSIMILE copies of documentscopying MANUSCRIPTSprocesses for printing ornamental PATTERN(S)PRINTING processesprocesses for printing in RESIST

6 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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B41M 1/00 Inking and printing with a printer's forme
B41M 3/00 Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
B41M 5/00 Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
B41M 7/00 After-treatment of printed works, e.g. heating, irradiating
B41M 9/00 Processes wherein make-ready devices are used
B41M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B41, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 14,672
CANON 14,153
RICOH COMPANY 8,049
SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION JP 8,044
HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY US 7,312
BROTHER INDUSTRIES 6,887
KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS 5,463
CANON JP 5,001
KONICA MINOLTA CORPORATION 4,512
BROTHER INDUSTRIES JP 3,681