Trademark Classes · Class 1
Class 1 covers chemical products used in industry, science, photography, agriculture, and horticulture, plus unprocessed plastics, fertilisers, and industrial adhesives. Here is exactly what it includes, what it does not, and how to word it to avoid an objection.
Class 1 is a goods class, and it covers chemical products used in industry, science, and photography, as well as in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. It is a broad, business-to-business class that sits at the raw-material and industrial-input end of the economy, the chemicals and compounds that other products are made from or treated with, rather than finished consumer goods.
Alongside industrial and agricultural chemicals, Class 1 also takes in unprocessed artificial resins and unprocessed plastics, fertilisers and manures, fire-extinguishing and fire-prevention compositions, tempering and soldering preparations, tanning substances, and adhesives used in industry. The common thread is that these are inputs and industrial preparations, not the end products that use them. This page is part of our full guide to all 45 trademark classes.
Class 1 is heavily used by industrial, agricultural, and science-based businesses. Work out whether your product genuinely sits here before you file, because a wrong class protects the wrong thing.
Manufacturers of industrial chemicals and compounds, unprocessed plastics and resins, fertilisers and soil treatments, adhesives and glues for industrial use, chemical additives, reagents and laboratory chemicals, and fire-prevention compositions. If your product is a chemical input that another business uses in manufacturing, treatment, agriculture, or research, Class 1 is very likely your class.
This is the key trap. Many chemical-based products sit in other classes because of what they are used for, not what they are made of. A cleaning preparation is Class 3, not Class 1. A paint is Class 2. A pharmaceutical or medical preparation is Class 5. A pesticide or herbicide is Class 5. The rule of thumb: a raw or industrial chemical is Class 1, but once a chemical is formulated into a finished product with a specific end use, it usually moves to the class for that use.
A business that makes both industrial chemicals and, say, finished cleaning products may need Class 1 and Class 3. Map every product line before filing. Our trademark class search helps you check which classes fit.
The most common Class 1 mistakes come from classifying a chemical by its composition rather than its finished use. These closely related products sit elsewhere:
Detergents, soaps, and cleaning products are Class 3, even though they are chemically based. Class 1 covers raw and industrial chemicals, not finished cleaning goods.
Paints, varnishes, lacquers, and colourants belong in Class 2, not Class 1.
Chemical preparations for medical, veterinary, or pest-control use fall in Class 5, because they are classified by their protective or medicinal purpose.
Once a chemical is formulated into a finished product with a defined end use, it generally takes the class of that use, not Class 1.
The Registry expects specific, standardised descriptions, not vague terms like “chemicals”. Here are examples of clear, acceptable Class 1 wording:
| Instead of (vague) | Use (standardised) |
|---|---|
| “Chemicals” | “Chemicals for use in industry” · “Chemicals for use in science” |
| “Fertiliser” | “Fertilisers for agricultural use” · “Manures” |
| “Plastic” | “Unprocessed artificial resins” · “Unprocessed plastics” |
| “Glue” | “Adhesives for use in industry” |
| “Lab supplies” | “Reagents for scientific use” · “Diagnostic preparations for scientific research” |
Each entry names the actual chemical and its use, rather than the bare word “chemicals”. 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 your products. Wording is a common cause of objections, worth getting right the first time whether you file in India, the United States, or elsewhere.
Class 1 covers chemical products used in industry, science, and photography, and in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. It also includes unprocessed artificial resins and plastics, fertilisers and manures, fire-extinguishing compositions, tempering and soldering preparations, tanning substances, and industrial adhesives. The common thread is that these are raw materials and industrial inputs, not finished consumer products, which fall into other classes according to their use.
Businesses that make industrial or agricultural chemicals, unprocessed plastics and resins, fertilisers and soil treatments, industrial adhesives, laboratory reagents, or fire-prevention compositions. If your product is a chemical input that other businesses use in manufacturing, treatment, agriculture, or research, Class 1 is likely your class. If you make finished chemical-based products such as cleaning goods or paints, you will usually need a different class.
Class 1 covers raw and industrial chemicals, the inputs used to make or treat other things. Class 3 covers finished cleaning and cosmetic products such as detergents, soaps, and cosmetics. The distinction is use, not composition: a chemical compound sold as an industrial input is Class 1, but the same chemistry formulated into a finished cleaning product for end users is Class 3. Getting this right matters, because filing in the wrong one protects the wrong thing.
Yes. Fertilisers and manures are classified in Class 1, alongside other chemical products for agricultural, horticultural, and forestry use. However, chemical products whose primary purpose is to kill pests, weeds, or fungi, such as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, are classified in Class 5, because they are grouped by their protective purpose rather than their chemical nature.
Use specific, standardised terminology rather than the bare word “chemicals”. Specify the chemical and its use, such as “chemicals for use in industry”, “fertilisers for agricultural use”, “unprocessed artificial resins”, or “adhesives for use in industry”. Draw your wording from the current NICE Classification and the relevant registry’s tools, and tailor it to your actual products. Vague descriptions are a common cause of objections, so precise wording at the filing stage saves time later.
Whether you are protecting an industrial chemical brand in one market or several, we identify the classes you need and handle registration worldwide, worded to avoid an avoidable objection.
