Trademark Classes · Class 16
Class 16 covers paper and cardboard, printed matter, stationery, books, packaging materials, and office requisites. Here is what it includes, what it excludes, and how to word it.
Class 16 is a goods class covering paper and cardboard, printed matter, stationery and office requisites, and books and publications in physical form. It includes printed books and magazines, writing and drawing materials, paper packaging, artists’ materials, and instructional and teaching materials.
The theme is paper goods and printed matter. Note the digital boundary: printed books are Class 16, but downloadable electronic publications are Class 9. This page is part of our full guide to all 45 trademark classes, and to how protection works across jurisdictions in our overview of trademark law and protection.
Work out whether your product or service genuinely sits in Class 16 before you file, because a wrong class protects the wrong thing.
Publishers of physical books and magazines, stationery and office-supply brands, paper packaging makers, artists’ and writing-materials manufacturers, and printers. If your product is paper, printed matter, stationery, or an office requisite, Class 16 is very likely your class. Our trademark class search helps you check which classes fit before you file.
The most common Class 16 mistakes come from classifying by the wrong feature. These closely related items sit elsewhere:
Electronic and downloadable books are Class 9. Class 16 is for physical printed matter.
The service of publishing is Class 41; the printed book as a product is Class 16.
The Registry expects specific, standardised descriptions, not vague terms. Here are examples of clear, acceptable Class 16 wording:
| Instead of (vague) | Use (standardised) |
|---|---|
| “Books” | “Printed publications” · “Books” · “Printed matter” |
| “Stationery” | “Stationery” · “Writing instruments” · “Office requisites, except furniture” |
| “Packaging” | “Packaging materials of paper and cardboard” |
Each entry is specific and standardised. These are illustrative examples of acceptable phrasing, not legal advice for your filing; your exact wording should be drawn from the current NICE Classification and tailored to what your business actually does. Wording is a common cause of objections whether you file in India, the United States, Argentina, or elsewhere. For filing across several countries at once, see our global registration guide.
Class 16 covers paper and cardboard, printed matter, stationery and office requisites, physical books and publications, paper packaging, and artists’ and teaching materials. The theme is paper goods and printed matter. Printed books are Class 16, but downloadable electronic publications fall in Class 9, and the service of publishing is Class 41.
Publishers of physical books and magazines, stationery and office-supply brands, paper packaging makers, artists’ and writing-materials manufacturers, and printers. If your product is paper, printed matter, stationery, or an office requisite, Class 16 is likely your class.
Printed, physical books are classified in Class 16, alongside other printed matter and stationery. Downloadable or electronic books (e-books), however, are classified in Class 9, and the service of publishing is Class 41. So the same title can touch different classes depending on whether it is a physical product, a digital file, or a publishing service.
Packaging materials made of paper and cardboard are classified in Class 16. Packaging made of plastic or other materials may fall in different classes, such as Class 20 or Class 17, so the material of the packaging determines its class.
Use specific, standardised terms such as printed publications, stationery, or packaging materials of paper and cardboard, rather than broad words like paper or books alone. Draw wording from the current NICE Classification and tailor it to your products to reduce objection risk.
Whether you are protecting your brand in one market or several, we identify the classes you need and handle registration worldwide, worded to avoid an avoidable objection.
