Trademark Classes: How to Pick the Right Ones

Trademarks are registered within classes of goods and services, and choosing the wrong class is one of the most common and costly filing mistakes.

Your protection only covers the classes you actually file in, so a brand that sells both software and consulting must file in both the relevant classes to be fully protected.

How classes work

• There are 45 classes covering goods and services
• Each class groups related products or services
• You pay a separate fee per class
• Your protection is limited to the classes you list

How to choose

• List every product or service you actually offer
• Map each one to its official class
• File in the class of your current business first
• Add future classes as you expand

Cover the classes where you actually sell today, and leave room to add classes as the business grows into new categories.

Planning ahead

Think about where the business is heading and file the classes for those future products before competitors take them.

• File current classes first
• Add future classes as you expand
• Monitor for squatters