Where the Nice Classification comes from
The Nice Classification (NCL) was set up in 1957 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It gathers all goods and services into one shared classification framework. Because the agreement covers trademarks registered in many languages, it also makes it easier to search for marks that may need translating.
Under the NCL, every kind of business activity falls into one of 45 classes. Classes 1 to 34 cover goods, and the remaining 11 cover services.
What each class contains
The Classification Agreement lists more than 10,000 goods and 1,000 services. A new edition comes out every five years, and an updated version is published every year. Trademark offices in countries that have adopted the agreement must use the NCL codes in their official documents.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has also put together a detailed list of the goods and services within each class, with finer distinctions. These entries add detail, but they are not mandatory categories.
Who uses it
The USPTO and most countries around the world have adopted the NCL protocol. Since the system is complex and so widely used, we recommend getting professional help with a trademark search.
Finding your class
To find your class number, try our Trademark Class search tool.
For more details, see the WIPO FAQ: https://www.wipo.int/classifications/nice/en/faq.