Which Trademark Classes Fit Your Mark?

Are you ready to protect your small business trademark by registering it with the USPTO? In your application, you must specify the goods or services associated with your trademark. It is important that you select the correct class—otherwise, your application will be rejected, and you will lose the money spent on fees.

In this guide, we will list and explain the trademark classes and show you how to register your mark the easy way using DoNotPay.

What Is a Trademark Class?

The United States adopted the international classification of goods and services—called the Nice Classification (NCL)—in 1973. The USPTO uses 45 international trademark classes for trademark registration—the first 34 classes cover goods, and others cover services.

Understanding trademark classes makes the registration process easier since it is your responsibility to:

• Conduct a clearance search to avoid trademark infringement
• Register your trademark under the appropriate class

You can register your trademark even if it’s similar to already registered marks, but the class must be different. For instance, the same brand name Pandora is registered under two different classes—jewelry and music streaming—by different companies.

Besides business names, the same rule applies to other trademarked elements, such as:

• Logos
• Domain names and usernames
• Phrases and slogans
• Artwork (pictures, for example)
• Book series titles
• Artist names
• Clothing brands
• Characters
• Podcast names

Trademark Classes List

The first step in determining the classes of your products and services is checking out the complete list. Before you conclude where your item fits, it is important to check the complete trademark class descriptions in the Trademark ID Manual. For instance, skincare products can belong to different classes depending on the use:

• Used as cosmetics—Class 003, Cosmetics and cleaning preparations
• Used as medicine—Class 005, Pharmaceuticals

Here is the list of international trademark classes as defined on the USPTO’s website:

How Do U.S. Trademark Classes Affect the Registration Cost?

Your overall trademark application cost depends on three things:

You must select at least one class of goods or services that your trademark will protect. The trademark protection law allows you to register one product or service under multiple classes based on the amount of trademark protection you want and the nature of your business.

How To Register a Trademark With the USPTO

You don’t have to register your trademark with the USPTO or state agencies. Common law trademark rights—that apply to your geographic region only—provide protection for unregistered marks as well. If you wish to enforce your mark ownership nationwide, you must register with the USPTO.

Applications must be submitted electronically. Here is what you will need to do:

1. Search the USPTO database to verify that there is no conflicting trademark
2. Complete one trademark application form—TEAS Plus or TEAS Standard

If your application is successful, your trademark can last forever as long as you continue using and renewing it.

The Best Way To Register a Trademark—Use DoNotPay

Are you confused by the complicated requirements and lengthy trademark application forms? You are in the right place—DoNotPay will do the tedious work for you.

Provide us with your trademark details, and we will:

• Conduct a detailed search to verify your mark is not already registered
• Complete the lengthy trademark application form on your behalf
• Submit the application form to the USPTO after you review and digitally sign it

Follow these steps to file your trademark registration using DoNotPay:

1. Log in to your DoNotPay account
2. Find the Trademark Registration product
3. Provide the trademark details
4. Pay the USPTO application fees

Do You Need a Trademark?

Are you unsure whether you need a trademark or a different form of protection? There are three types of intellectual property protection. Depending on the nature of your business, you may need only one or a combination.

Here is how you can tell what you need:

• Trademarks protect the signs that you use to distinguish your products or services from those of your competitors
• Copyrights protect your original artistic or literary work—for example, a novel
• Patents protect innovations and unique processes—for instance, a new piece of computer hardware

Deal With Any Small Business Matter With DoNotPay’s Help!

Being a small business owner is not an easy task, and all the details that you need to pay attention to might seem overwhelming. From handling trademark registration and protection to dealing with crucial paperwork, such as the Employer Identification Number (EIN) SS-4 form and 83(b) election forms, you need to invest a lot of time and energy into each business-related aspect. That is why you should rely on DoNotPay and have us take care of everything in your stead!

If you need help handling copyright issues, you should consider registering a DMCA agent with the U.S. Copyright Office. Not sure how to do it? Use DoNotPay, and we will take care of it for you!

We can also help you dispute chargebacks and avoid losing your money to scams by generating a personalized chargeback rebuttal document based on the info you give us.

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