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Trademark Classes

 

Save for in a handful of countries, trademarks are registered against different classes of goods and services. There are 45 classes in all, and they are listed below along with a brief description of what they include. The first 34 classes are reserved for goods whereas the remaining classes 35-45 cover services.

This is known as the Nice Classification. It is maintained by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), and at present, the latest version is the 11th edition. It is necessary to update it from time to time as new goods and services are devised, and each class contains countless different items, so please note that the list below is not at all exhaustive.

As part of registering your trademark, you will need to decide which goods and services your brand will be used for. Once you have done that, we will help you to determine which trademark classes you should register in. It is not possible to increase the scope of an existing trademark registration, so it is important to consider carefully how you will use your trademark both now and in future. If ultimately you do begin using your trademark for different goods and services, you can file a fresh application to cover them.

Typically, businesses find that they need to cover at least 3 trademark classes, but you will want to secure a broad enough registration both to avoid infringing on others’ trademark rights, and to prevent your competitors from encroaching on your territory.

 

Class 1 Chemicals (not for medical science); additives for the food industry, salts and preservatives (excluding salt for preserving food); compost.
Class 2 Paints (excluding insulating paints), varnishes and lacquers; dyes and colourants for clothing, food and drinks (not including cosmetic dyes); coatings for decorative or protective purposes (excluding building materials).
Class 3 Cosmetics, perfumery and toiletries such as soaps and deodorants (but not items for medical purposes); sandpaper, pumice stones and other abrasives; polish, detergents, bleach and other cleaning preparations.
Class 4 Industrial oils, greases, lubricants, wetting and binding compositions; fuels (including alcohol when used as a fuel), candles and wicks.
Class 5 Pharmaceutical, medical, veterinary and sanitary preparations; sterilizing and disinfecting products; diapers, menstruation pads, bandages and dressings (excluding supportive bandages); dietary supplements, and dietetic food and beverages; tobacco-free cigarettes; fungicides, herbicides, pesticides.
Class 6 Common Metals, Alloys and Ores, Transportable Metal Buildings, Non-Electric Cables and Wires made from Metal, Ironmongery, Small items of Metal Hardware (including pipes, tubes, hinges, nails, baskets, locks and handcuffs). Does not include mercury, alkaline or metals in foil or powder form for painting. Includes inert metal objects, but not tools.
Class 7 Machines, Machine Tools, pumps, robots, washing machines, Motors and Engines and their parts (but not for land vehicles), Agricultural tools. Ball bearings, Does not include hand tools unless they are powered.
Class 8 Hand Operated Tools and Implements (including domestic implements such as cutlery and tweezers, and weapons such as knives, swords, bayonets or fencing weapons). Also includes Electric Razors and Clippers. Does not include machine tools driven by a motor, or surgical cutlery.
Class 9 Software; data processing equipment such as computers, and peripherals; scientific, nautical, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring and signalling apparatus; DVDs and other data carriers; fire extinguishers and life-saving gear; sunglasses; electrical equipment (but not machine tools, pumps, irons, heating apparatus, kitchen equipment, electronic razors, clocks or videogame consoles).
Class 10 Surgical, medical, dental and veterinary apparatus, artificial limbs, eyes and teeth, specialist medical furniture, supportive bandages.
Class 11 Environment control apparatus, apparatus for light, water and sanitation, air conditioning apparatus, pipes attached to sanitary installations, safety and regulating accessories for water or gas apparatus. Electric cooking utensils (such as kettles, microwaves and pressure cookers). Does not include steam producing apparatus, or electrically heated clothing.
Class 12 Vehicles, apparatus for transport by land, air or water (including wheelbarrows, bicycles, air balloons and hovercraft). Motors and engines for land vehicles. Does not include parts of motors or engines.
Class 13 Firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, weapons for both military and sporting use. Shoulder straps for firearms. Does not include matches, knives, bows or arrows.
Class 14 Precious metals, jewellery (including cuff links), precious stones, clocks and watches. Does not include cutlery, gold used by dentists, electric contacts, or pen nibs.
Class 15 Musical Instruments, electrical musical instruments, instruments that create sound without being manipulated by musicians, such as music boxes. Accessories for musical instruments such as skins for drums, conducting batons, drumsticks, tuning forks. Does not include goods that effect or reproduce sound from another source, such as CD players, loudspeakers or amplifiers, or recording apparatus.
Class 16 Paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials such as books, brochures, pamphlets, cards, photographs; plastic packaging; stationery such as pens, pencils, drawing instruments, compasses, artist’s materials (but not paints or dyes).
Class 17 Insulating materials and plastics, flexible non-metallic pipes (such as hoses), non-specialised items made from rubber, latex, gum, gutta-percha, asbestos or mica. Includes extruded plastics for use in manufacture and packing.
Class 18 Leather and imitations of leather, leather goods for transport of personal goods (including briefcases, wallets and bags); leather goods for animal use (including saddles and whips). Also includes umbrellas, parasols and walking sticks, but excludes clothing, footwear and headgear.
Class 19 Non-metallic building materials and structures (from bike stands to buildings), window glass and wood panelling, sand, bituminous and asphalt coatings, non-metallic rigid pipes, 3D objects made from stone or marble (including sculptures and figurines).
Class 20 Furniture, furnishings, curtains, bedding, mirrors, hampers, goods made from wood, cork, cane, wicker, horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, mother-of-pearl, meerschaum and substitutes for these materials. Also includes plastic goods (including certain hardware items).
Class 21 Household and kitchen containers, crockery and utensils (not including cutting or piercing utensils or electric utensils); household porcelain and glassware; lunchboxes; teapots; kitchen or oven gloves; toothbrushes and combs.
Class 22 Ropes, nets, sails, sacks and bags. Textiles in an unprocessed state (including fibres). Tents and awnings, hammocks, padding and stuffing materials such as sawdust or seaweed (not including rubber or plastics).
Class 23 Yarns and threads (for textile use). Includes cotton, silk and woollen threads. Can also include fiberglass, elastic, rubber and plastic threads (if these are used for textile purposes). Does not include threads of plastic for soldering, non-textile uses of elastic yarns, or identification threads for electric wires.
Class 24 Textiles and covers for household use (includes curtains, flags, bed covers, handkerchiefs and mosquito nets). Bunting, washing mitts, sleeping bags. Does not include clothing, electrically heated, veterinary or medical blankets.
Class 25 Clothing, footwear, headgear used for normal dress purposes. Does not include goods that are specially adapted for a specific use classified in another class (for example fireproof or surgical clothes, or specially adapted sports gear such as skates).
Class 26 Clothing embellishments, including lace and embroidery, buttons, frills, belt clasps, shoe buckles, zips. Includes dressmaker’s articles such as knitting and sewing needles and boxes for needles. Also includes wigs and false hair items, and related accessories. Artificial flowers, but not include artificial Christmas trees.
Class 27 Floor coverings such as linoleum, carpets, rugs, mats, matting, door mats, turf (not wooden flooring). Wallpapers, wall hangings and tapestries (but only if they are not textile).
Class 28 Games, playthings and objects of amusement (includes Christmas trees and Christmas decorations, confetti). Includes videogame consoles and apparatus (but not videogames themselves which are in Class 9). Also includes sporting and gymnastic articles such as paintball guns, fishing hooks and tackle (but does not include protective helmets, gymnastic mats, or boots). Also include ice skates, sailboards, waterskis and wax for skis, skateboards, ping pong tables and radio controlled toys.
Class 29 Foodstuffs of animal origin, such as meat, fish and poultry (prepared for human consumption or preservation). Dairy products and edible oils and fats. Frozen and preserved foods. Includes jellies, jams and compotes, nuts, dried or cooked fruit and vegetables, including processed vegetables (does not include fresh vegetables or fruits). Does not include sandwiches or pizzas, salad dressings, baby foods, dietary supplements or live animals.
Class 30 Coffee, tea and cocoa. Foodstuffs of plant origin prepared for human consumption. Grain products including flour, bread, cakes and pastries. Substances that sweeten or improve flavours, such as sugar, spices, honey, marinades, gravies, herbs, salt and condiments such as mayonnaise and salad dressings. Also includes pizzas, sandwiches, prepared meals. Also ice. Does not include processed or fresh fruit and vegetables, or raw cereals, dietary supplements, baby food, or foodstuffs for animals.
Class 31 Live animals, plants (including raw, unworked wood) and flowers, crustacean, molluscs, fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, seeds and straw, food and bedding for animals. However, this class does not include eggs unless they are fertilised for hatching, nor artificial fishing bait, rice, or tobacco.
Class 32 Beers and non-alcoholic drinks including water, syrups, smoothies. This class does not include tea, coffee or cocoa drinks, milk based drinks or drinks with a medical purpose.
Class 33 Alcoholic beverages (except beers), except for medicinal beverages.
Class 34 Tobacco and tobacco substitutes, smokers’ articles (including matches, pipes, cigarette filters, filter tips, cases and holders, lighters, ashtrays and herbs for smoking), snuff and snuff boxes.
Class 35 Services that directly assist the operation or management of a business. Includes advertising, business management and administration, accounting, office functions, management consultancy, compilation of mathematical or statistical data, marketing studies and opinion polling, and recruitment. Also includes auctioneering and price comparison services.
Class 36 Activities related to finance, banking, monetary affairs, credit, investments, brokerage and clearing services, underwriting, insurance, real estate letting and rental of flats or houses for permanent use, valuation, and transactions, valuation of art, and charity fund raising. This class does not include business valuation, or freight and transport brokerage.
Class 37 Building, construction, demolition, installation and repair services in relation to electricity, gas and physical goods such as furniture, instruments and other goods.  Also includes maintenance, restoration and cleaning, but does not include dyeing of cloth or clothing.
Class 38 Telecommunications, news wire services, broadcasting, providing access to telecommunications networks for example as an ISP, providing services for email and the transmission of digital files or messages, for example via an online forum or voicemail. This class does not include banking, even if done online with a computer, and does not include telemarketing.
Class 39 Transportation of goods or persons by land, sea, road, rail, air or other medium, and rental or brokerage of transportation, transport reservation. Distribution of water and electricity, arrangement of travel and transport, packaging and storage of goods.  This class does not include services for the reservation of accommodation.
Class 40 Printing and bookbinding, pottery firing, soldering, woodworking, treatment of materials such as vulcanization, waterproofing, galvanization, dyeing of cloth, and other transformations of the essential properties of an object. This class includes air, water and waste treatment and purification, generating energy, incineration of waste, glass blowing, taxidermy, slaughtering of animals. This class does not include cleaning, maintenance or repair.
Class 41 Educational activities (including seminars, workshops, training and courses); entertainment, sporting and cultural activities, including performance, planning and production of video, theatre, radio and entertainment and sporting events and providing or renting facilities for these; arranging contests; sporting, gymnastic and other instruction; ticket agency services; photography; translation; publication of texts; lending books, tapes or other media.
Class 42 Scientific and technological services, such as biological and geographical research, computer programming, system design and analysis; graphic and web design; design of hardware; vehicle roadworthiness testing; textile and material testing; architecture, engineering and drafting (construction); search engines; authenticating works of art; weather forecasting; exploration and prospecting.
Class 43 Services for providing food and drink, and temporary accommodation including boarding for animals. Includes hotels and reservation of rooms, rental of tents and meeting rooms, retirement homes, nurseries, restaurants, cafés, catering services, and services preparing food for immediate consumption by the consumer.  This class also includes rental of drinking water dispensers, cooking apparatus, furniture, and lighting apparatus (except for theatrical sets or television studios).  This class does not include boarding schools, arranging travel, or permanent accommodation rental services.
Class 44 Services for medical care, hygienic and beauty care, and rehabilitation for humans and animals; includes medical, dental, optician, chiropractic and physiotherapy services; animal breeding; health spa, massage, public baths and solarium services; agriculture and horticulture, gardening and landscape design; pharmacist services. Does not include health clubs for physical exercise, slaughtering or taxidermy, extermination, animal training services or retirement homes.
Class 45 Hire of clothing or jewellery, personal and advisory services, includes legal and detective services, licensing of intellectual property including computer software, marriage, dating and adoption agencies, domain registration services, security, identification and rescue services, wedding planning, fire-fighting and rental of fire extinguishers, horoscope casting, safety inspection services, arranging religious meetings, house, pet and baby-sitting. Does not include banking.