The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the authority that determines and associates the class of any goods or services within use in the U.S. In the process of determining the trademark that a certain product or service is eligible for, there is a need to first identify the class or category that the product or service falls under. In this regard, the USPTO has curated a comprehensive list of 45 Trademark classes that any kind of product or service can classify as.
Here, we will talk about these 45 classes that have been identified by the USPTO when determining the relevant class to be applied when a new product or service is required to be trademarked. Among these 45 trademark classes, it is to be noted that the first 34 classes are solely applicable for goods, which means tangible products. The rest of the classes from 35 to 45 are services, which can generally be identified as intangible products. By looking at this comprehensive list, you can easily identify which class your goods or services fall in. Or if you are in the process of developing a new product, you can determine which class that would fall under as well.
Goods Classes
The first set of Trademark classes that we talk about here is primarily tangible goods. And among these tangible goods, let’s touch upon the goods primarily used for commercial and industrial purposes, before moving into domestic or individual use goods. This includes chemicals, industrial equipment, machinery, firearms, and technology components, among many others.
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Class 1: Chemical Products
This class involves trademarking chemical-based products that can be used for further processing in any other industry. This includes industrial chemicals, fire extinguishing cylinders, food-grade preservatives, fertilizers, leather tanning chemicals, industrial-grade adhesive, chemicals in science, photography, tempering and soldering metals, and unprocessed resin and plastic products.
Class 2: Paint Products
Any product that helps in painting for decoration or preservation falls in this class. It includes color paints, lacquers, varnishes, rust- and termite-resistant paints, primers, raw resins, printers, artists, decorators, powdered and sheet forms of metals for painting purposes, and mordants.
Class 3: Cosmetics and Cleaning Products
Products that are used for either cosmetic purposes or as cleaning agents are under this class. These include bleaches for laundry, cleaning agents, polishing agents, scrubbing agents, soaps, cosmetic lotions, hair products, perfumes, dentifrices, and essential oils.
Class 4: Lubricant and Fuel Products
Industrial-grade oils and lubricants, such as greases, lubricants, motor oil, dust-absorbing lubricating agents, multipurpose wetting and binding lubricating agents, and illuminants, like candles and candle wicks, are under this class.
Class 5: Pharmaceutical Products
Products for any medicinal purpose, to humans, animals, or plants, are in this class. These products are baby food, plasters/bandages for dressings, dental wax, pharmaceutical/vet preparations, disinfectants, insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, medical-grade dietary substances, medical-grade sanitary preparations, and products for stopping teeth.
Class 6: Metal Products
Products that use metals, such as the metals themselves, their alloys, metal ores, metal building materials, transportable metal buildings, non-electric cable wires, items of metal hardware, pipes, materials for railway tracks, and other methanol products not suitable for other classes, are included in this class.
Class 7: Machinery Products
All machinery products, such as machine tools, agricultural equipment that is not manually operated, and egg incubators, are included in this class. Additionally, motor and engine-based equipment or transmission and machine coupling components are also included.
Class 8: Hand Tool Products
All hand tools that are solely operated through manual efforts, such as razors, cutlery, sidearms, and basic hand tools, are included in this class.
Class 9: Computer and Software Products and Electrical and Scientific Products
Any technical equipment that operates with the help of technological programming and configuration, such as scientific equipment, nautical apparatus, photographic equipment, optical equipment, weighing and measuring machines, transforming and switching apparatus, electricity regulating and conducting apparatus, recording devices, automatic and coin-operated vending machines, cash registers, calculators, computers and other data processing equipment, and fire extinguishing equipment.
Class 10: Medical Instrument Products
Medical apparatus, such as surgical devices, instruments for vets, prosthetic body parts, medical and dental equipment, orthopedic equipment, and materials for sutures and other medical procedures.
Class 11: Environmental Control Instrument Products (Lighting, Heating, Cooling, Cooking)
Equipment and devices that allow heat and light to be controlled, such as lighting coolers, refrigerators, freezers, equipment for heating, steaming, cooking, and drying, ventilators, and water supply devices along with equipment for sanitation.
Class 12: Vehicles and Products for Locomotion by Land, Air, or Water
All vehicles and devices specifically made to travel by land, air, or water are included in this class.
Class 13: Firearm Products
All products that use fire and are classified as carrying the potential of harming others, such as ammunition, firearms, projectiles, and explosives, along with even fireworks.
Class 14: Jewelry Products
All ornamental products made of precious metals and/or alloys of these metals, including those coated with these metals, that are not included in other classes, precious stones, and chronometric or horological instruments are all included here.
Class 15: Musical Instrument Products
All musical instruments, regardless of whether they are wind instruments, brass instruments, string instruments, acoustic instruments, electric instruments, percussion instruments, and all others made for the purpose of creating sound are included here.
Class 16: Paper and Printed Material Products
Goods crafted from paper and cardboard, books, printed material, photos, stationery, non-commercial or domestic use adhesive, artists’ stationery, paintbrushes, typewriters, bookbinding material, teaching material, plastic packaging materials not included in other classes, printing blocks, and printers’ types are a part of this class.
Class 17: Rubber Products
All products made from the plant-based rubber material, such as rubber, gum, asbestos, mica, gutta-percha, and all things made of these materials, rubber and plastic packaging, packing and insulating material, and non-metal flexible pipes.
Class 18: Leather Products (Not Including Clothing)
All genuine and imitation leather products not included in other classes, animal skins and hides, walking sticks, harness and saddles for horse riding, trunks and travelling bags, umbrellas, and parasols are included in this class.
Class 19: Non-Metallic Building Material Products
All building materials that are non-metal in property, non-metal rigid pipes used in construction, asphalt, bitumen, pitch, transportable buildings not made of metal, and monuments not made in metal are all included in this class.
Class 20: Furniture Products
All typical furniture products, including mirrors, frames, plastic furniture, and other products of wood, cane, ivory, amber, meerschaum, reed, horn, shell, reed, wicker, whalebone, mother-of-pearl, and all of their substitutes are included in this class.
Class 21: Houseware and Glass Products
Kitchen utensils and household products, such as containers, unworked porcelain, earthenware, or glass, brushes other than those for painting, cleaning articles and equipment, products for brush-making, and steel wool, are considered in this class.
Class 22: Ropes, Cordage and Fiber Products
All products created with the help of fibers and fibrous materials, such as sacks, ropes, nets, strings, awnings, tents, sacks, tarpaulins, boat sails, bags that are not part of any other class, raw textile, and non-rubber or non-plastic stuffing and padding materials, are included in this class.
Class 23: Yarns and Threads
All threads and yarns used in the textile industry can be considered a part of this class when trademarking.
Protect Your Brand by Registering Your Trademark Classes
Protecting your brand is crucial and for this purpose, trademarking your brand and the goods or services you provide is crucial. In this section, we are looking at some goods that are most commonly consumed for personal satisfaction or personal usage, rather than for industrial or commercial usage, which had been a common factor in the majority of the classes of goods mentioned above.
Class 24: Fabrics and Textile Products
All fabric and textile products (other than clothing) that are not suitable for other classes, such as bedsheets, table covers, bed covers, are identified as under this class.
Class 25: Clothing and Apparel Products
All clothing and apparel that people can possibly wear are a part of this class. This includes clothing as well as footwear and headgear worn along with the clothing.
Class 26: Lace, Ribbons, Embroidery, and Fancy Goods
Decorative fabric products, such as laces, embroidered pieces, ribbons, buttons, braids, needles, appliques, hooks, hook eyes, artificial flowers, and pins are a part of this class.
Class 27: Floor Covering Products
Products that cover large sections of the floor, such as carpets, mats, linoleum, rugs, matting, and other floor coverings as well as non-textile wall hanging pieces are considered a part of this class.
Class 28: Toys and Sporting Goods Products
All games, both athletic and non-athletic, are included in this class. These can include board games, playthings, sporting equipment, gymnastics equipment, other sporting equipment not included in other classes, and even Christmas decorations.
Class 29: Meat and Processed Food Products
All non-vegetarian and meat-based food products as well as all kinds of processed foods are considered under this class. This includes different kinds of meat, different fishes, meat extracts, processed fruits and vegetables, jams, jellies, eggs, alternative milk, milk products as well as food-grade oils and fats.
Class 30: Staple Food Products
Staples and food made from staples, such as rice, pasta, tea, coffee, tapioca, sago, sugar, cocoa, flour, food made from processed flour, bread, confectioneries, baking essentials, seasoning, spices, and condiments and included in this class.
Class 31: Natural Agricultural Products
All natural agricultural products that we get from nature and that are not included in any other class are a part of this class. These products can include grains, other horticulture, agricultural, or forestry products, live animals and fishes, fresh and 0organic vegetables and fruits, seeds, saplings of leafy plants or flowering plants, animal food grains, and malt.
Class 32: Light Beverage Products
All non-alcoholic drinks, such as mineral water, sparkling water, aerated beverages, soft drinks, fruit juices, fruit drinks, and syrups, and beer are included in this class of the trademarking list.
Class 33: Wines and Spirits (not including beers)
Apart from beer, which is a part of Class 32, all other alcoholic beverages, such as wines, whiskey, gin, rum, vodka, and liquor, among others, are included in this class.
Class 34: Smoker’s Products
All products used for smoking, such as cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, lighters, lighter fluid, and matches are a part of this class of products.
Service Classes
Apart from tangible goods, the list also includes products that can be considered intangible services but that do need to be trademarked as well. In this regard, Classes 35 to 45 of the list include such services that allow you to get the new services you have developed to be trademarked depending on the category of the service. So, have a look at the eleven service classes as mentioned below and get your services trademarked accordingly to protect it from unauthorized usage:
Class 35: Advertising, Business, and Retail Services
Class 35 in the list is entirely based on services associated with advertising any product, business management services, business administration services, and other services regarding other office functions.
Class 36: Insurance and Financial Services
Class 36 helps trademark insurance services along with enabling services that manage financial affairs. It also includes provisions for managing monetary affairs as well as real estate services provided to both B2C and B2B industries.
Class 37: Construction and Repair Services
Class 37 includes services involved with providing construction and repair-related activities. These can include plumbing, electric servicing, renovations, construction services, as well as installation of different facilities and components.
Class 38: Communication Services
Class 38 includes the provision for all communication-related services, such as telecommunication, mobile services, data services, broadband and Wi-Fi services, and streaming media, among others.
Class 39: Transportation and Storage Services
Transportation and logistics services, shipping of packages, storage in warehouses, travel services, and travel arrangements are all components included in Class 39 of the services classes of the USPTO.
Class 40: Treatment and Processing of Materials Services
Class 40 in this list includes services where materials are chemically treated as a form of processing them. This includes tannery services for leather, chemical processing, custom manufacturing, and transforming organic or inorganic objects and substances through treating them chemically.
Class 41: Education and Entertainment Services
Class 41 includes all educational services that are provided in any platform, realm, or for any purpose. This includes providing training services, entertainment, as well as providing cultural and sporting entertainment or training.
Class 42: Computer and Software Services and Scientific Services
All computer and scientific services provided to any industry or customer are included in this class. Such services can include research services, technological assistance, scientific services, designing computer software and hardware, and developing such software and hardware.
Class 43: Restaurant and Hotel Services
All hospitality services are included in the services provided under this class. This includes providing beverages, edible refreshments, and accommodations for temporary stays.
Class 44: Medical and Beauty Services and Agricultural Services
All medical services, beauty services, and agricultural services are included under this class when trademarking them. These services can include healthcare services, veterinary healthcare services, services for beautification of both humans and animals, as well as horticulture and forestry services for beautification.
Class 45: Personal, Legal and Social Services
Services in the form of legal assistance, security to protect people, animals, or property, as well as personal and social services to satisfy others are included in this class.
Conclusion
Getting your services trademarked is crucial to ensure that you are recognized as the owner of that specific service. In this way, you can protect the intellectual property and the intellectual rights of any of the goods or services you provide others. So, go through the different trademark classes thoroughly and identify which class is the most suitable for the goods or services provided by you. Register the same as per the relevant associated class and make sure that your hard work is legally protected from being stolen or copied.