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Are trademark classes the same in every country?

Founder & Trademark Attorney

The Nice Classification system is used by over 150 countries, providing a common framework of 45 classes. In this sense, the class structure is largely the same internationally. However, countries can have their own requirements for how goods and services are described within those classes.

Each IP office maintains its own list of accepted terminology. The EUIPO's TMclass, the USPTO's ID Manual, and IP Australia's goods and services database all contain jurisdiction-specific accepted descriptions that may not be identical across offices. A description accepted in one jurisdiction may need to be reformulated for another. The class number is the same; the acceptable wording within it may differ.

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