Trademark Classes · Class 17
Class 17 covers rubber, plastics in semi-finished form, insulating materials, and flexible pipes not of metal. Here is what it includes, what it excludes, and how to word it.
Class 17 is a goods class covering rubber, gutta-percha, gum, asbestos, mica and substitutes, plastics and resins in extruded or semi-finished form, packing, stopping and insulating materials, and flexible pipes and hoses not of metal.
The theme is semi-finished rubber and plastic materials and insulation, the intermediate materials used to make other products. Unprocessed plastics, by contrast, are Class 1, and finished plastic goods are in their relevant class. 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 17 before you file, because a wrong class protects the wrong thing.
Makers of rubber and plastic materials in semi-finished form, insulation and sealing materials, non-metal flexible pipes and hoses, and packing and stopping materials. If your product is a semi-finished rubber or plastic material, or an insulating or sealing material, Class 17 is very likely your class. Our trademark class search helps you check which classes fit before you file.
The most common Class 17 mistakes come from classifying by the wrong feature. These closely related items sit elsewhere:
Raw, unprocessed plastics and resins are Class 1. Class 17 is the semi-finished material.
Rigid metal pipes are Class 6; flexible non-metal pipes are Class 17.
The Registry expects specific, standardised descriptions, not vague terms. Here are examples of clear, acceptable Class 17 wording:
| Instead of (vague) | Use (standardised) |
|---|---|
| “Plastic” | “Plastics in extruded form for use in manufacture” · “Semi-worked plastics” |
| “Rubber” | “Rubber, raw or semi-worked” |
| “Insulation” | “Insulating materials” |
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 17 covers rubber, gutta-percha, gum, asbestos, mica and their substitutes, plastics and resins in extruded or semi-finished form, packing, stopping and insulating materials, and flexible non-metal pipes and hoses. The theme is semi-finished rubber and plastic materials and insulation. Unprocessed plastics are Class 1, while finished plastic products fall in their own relevant classes.
Makers of semi-finished rubber and plastic materials, insulation and sealing materials, non-metal flexible pipes and hoses, and packing and stopping materials. If your product is a semi-finished rubber or plastic material, or an insulating material, Class 17 is likely your class.
Class 1 covers unprocessed, raw plastics and resins as chemical inputs. Class 17 covers plastics and rubber in semi-finished form, extruded sheets, rods, and films used in further manufacture. The distinction is the degree of processing: raw material is Class 1, semi-worked material is Class 17, and a finished plastic product is in its own class.
Flexible pipes, tubes, and hoses not made of metal are classified in Class 17. Rigid metal pipes, by contrast, are classified in Class 6. So the material and flexibility of the pipe determine its class.
Use specific, standardised terms such as semi-worked plastics, insulating materials, or flexible pipes not of metal, rather than the bare words plastic or rubber. 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.
