Trademark Registration · Global Guide to All 45 Classes
Every trademark is registered for specific classes of goods and services. The 45 classes are the same worldwide, but the filing differs by country. This is the global guide, with what you need for India, the US, UK, EU, UAE, Argentina, and Australia.
A trademark does not protect your brand name in the abstract. It protects it for specific goods and services, organised into 45 numbered classes under the NICE Classification, an international system used by most countries, including India, the US, UK, EU, UAE, Argentina, and Australia. Because the system is shared, the classes mean broadly the same thing everywhere: Class 25 is clothing, Class 35 is business services, almost anywhere you file.
But a trademark right stops at the border of the country that granted it. So while the classes are global, the protection is country by country: you file separately in each market you care about, and each has its own fees, forms, and registry practice. This guide explains the class system once, globally, then gives you the specifics for each major country. This page is the hub of our global trademark registration guide.
Most businesses need two to four classes for proper protection, and the class cannot be changed after filing. Choosing correctly the first time is one of the most important decisions in the whole process.
Three steps, worked through before you file, because the choice is locked once you do.
Write down every product you make and every service you provide, including the ones you realistically plan to add. Your classes follow your real business, not your aspirations.
Map every product and service to its NICE class. Mind the traps: software is Class 42, not 35; retail is a Class 35 service, separate from the goods being sold.
Most businesses need two to four classes, in each country they want protection. Each class, and each country, carries its own fee.
Classes 1 to 34 cover goods; classes 35 to 45 cover services. The same worldwide. Click any linked class for a full guide to what it covers, who should file in it, and how to word it. The most commonly filed classes are being built out first.
| Class | Covers |
|---|---|
| Class 35 Popular | Advertising, business management, retail & e-commerce |
| Class 36 | Financial, insurance & real estate services |
| Class 37 | Construction, installation & repair services |
| Class 38 | Telecommunications |
| Class 39 | Transport, logistics & storage |
| Class 40 | Treatment & processing of materials, manufacturing services |
| Class 41 Popular | Education, training & entertainment |
| Class 42 Popular | IT, software development, SaaS & design |
| Class 43 Popular | Restaurants, cafes, hotels & catering |
| Class 44 | Medical, veterinary, hygiene & beauty care |
| Class 45 | Legal & personal & social services |
Not sure which class fits? Our free trademark class search checks your business against all 45 classes before you file.
The classes are the same everywhere; the filing is not. Here is how classification and fees work in each major market, and where to go for the full country guide.
India follows the NICE Classification under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. Government fees are per class: ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups, and MSMEs, and ₹9,000 per class for companies (e-filing). Multi-class applications are allowed, with the fee applying per class. India runs a hybrid first-to-file-and-use system, where both registration and genuine use carry weight. See our full guide on how to register a trademark in India, or our trademark registration in India service.
The US uses the NICE Classification, administered by the USPTO, but places strong emphasis on actual use in commerce. You file per class and must show either genuine use or a bona fide intention to use the mark. See our guide on how to register a trademark in the US.
The UK uses the NICE Classification, administered by the UK Intellectual Property Office, on a first-to-file basis with a defined opposition period. Since Brexit, UK and EU trademarks are separate rights, so a brand serious about both markets needs to protect them separately. See our guide on opposing a trademark in the UK.
The EU offers the EU Trade Mark (EUTM) through the EUIPO, a single filing that protects your brand across all member states at once. It is efficient and cost-effective for pan-European protection, though a successful challenge on certain grounds can affect the mark across the entire EU.
The UAE uses the NICE Classification on a first-to-file basis and has modernised its framework, including joining the Madrid System. As a major trade and re-export hub, registering early matters, particularly for goods passing through the region. See our UAE services.
Argentina uses the NICE Classification on a first-to-file basis, and recently overhauled its system: the trademark office (INPI) significantly reduced its examination of conflicts with earlier marks, shifting that burden onto rights holders through opposition. Official fees are indexed monthly under a new tariff unit, so they move with inflation. See our guides on how to register a trademark in Argentina and trademark registration in Argentina, or our full Argentina services.
Australia uses the NICE Classification through IP Australia, on a first-to-file basis with an examination and opposition process familiar to other common-law jurisdictions. See our Australia services.
Expanding to several countries at once? The Madrid Protocol lets you file in many member countries through a single international application, though each country still examines the mark under its own law. Our global trademark registration guide explains how it works.
Picking the right class matters, but so does how you word your goods and services within it. A surprising number of objections, in every country, come not from the class but from vague wording like “software” or “all goods in class 25.” Standardised terminology is what keeps your application moving: NICE terms domestically, and WIPO’s Madrid Goods & Services Manager for international filings.
For the wider picture of how trademark law and protection works across jurisdictions, see our overview on trademark law and protection.
Largely yes. The NICE Classification is used by most countries including India, the US, UK, EU, UAE, Argentina, and Australia, so the 45 classes mean broadly the same thing worldwide, Class 25 is clothing almost everywhere. What differs is the filing: fees, forms, timelines, and registry practice vary by country, and you must register separately in each country, since trademark rights are territorial.
Most businesses need two to four for meaningful protection, one for each distinct type of goods or service. For example, a product class for what you make, plus Class 35 if you also run retail or marketing. Each class carries its own fee, in each country you file in.
The class cannot be changed after filing. A wrong class means your registration protects the wrong thing, and fixing it needs a fresh application, losing your fee and filing date. Choosing carefully first, ideally with a class search, is essential.
The government fee is per class: ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups, and small enterprises (e-filing), and ₹9,000 per class for companies and larger entities. Filing in three classes means paying the per-class fee three times. Professional fees for drafting and filing are separate.
Yes, because trademark rights are territorial, a registration in one country protects you only there. You either file directly in each country, or use the Madrid Protocol to file one international application designating multiple member countries, each of which still examines the mark under its own law.
Yes. Most countries, including India, allow a single multi-class application covering several classes at once. However, the government fee is charged per class, so a three-class application costs three times the per-class fee. Filing across the classes you genuinely need is often essential for full protection.
Class selection cannot be changed after filing. We identify every class your brand needs and handle registration in India and worldwide, worded to avoid an avoidable objection.
