The Nice Classification: 2016 version of 10th Edition came into force
The Nice Classification is an international classification system of goods and services used for the purposes of the trademark registration. Currently, around 150 offices in the world and four regional organizations use the Nice Classification to simplify trademark registration procedure.
A new edition of the Classification is published approximately every five years; furthermore, a new version of edition is revised and published annually.
On the January 1, 2016, the amended version of the 10th Edition of the Nice Classification came into force. Headings and/or explanatory notes of 14 classes of goods and 1 class of services were revised. Particularly, headings of classes 6, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 28 and 31 were considerably changed. In the previous 2015 version indicated class headings used to contain such expression as “…and goods made from this material which are not included in other classes…”. In the current 2016 version of the Classification such wording was removed in order to avoid misleading the applicants. Alphabetical lists of goods and services of all amended classes were updated accordingly.
Comparative analysis of 2015 and 2016 versions of the Nice Classification is available for your review.
Author: Lynda Miller