A trademark classification is a way to determine your business’s category and identify which class of products and goods your business is trading. In trademark classification, there are a total of 45 classes, and each class represents a distinct set of goods and services. It helps define a process through which you can register a trademark for a product for any category or class and makes the trademark registration process more efficient.
Do you know? Trademark registration fees for companies are ₹9000 per application. For individual trademark registrations, the government charges ₹4500 per application.
Also read: What Are Different Types of Trademarks in India? Examples & Kinds of Trademarks
What is a Trademark Class?
Trademark classification covers more than 80,000 products and is categorized into Classes of Goods (Class 1 to Class 34) and Classes of Services (Class 35 to Class 45).
Selection of appropriate classes for trademark registration requires deep knowledge about the discrete types of goods and commodities and the class to which they belong to.
For example, a person who doesn’t have proper knowledge about the classification might get confused with some goods. Their relevant classes, like one, might think, instruments like amplifiers, recorders, or instruments that reproduce sound, shall be registered under the trademark class 15: Diverse Musical instruments, but that is not the case. These instruments are registered under the Trademark class 09: Scientific, Electrical apparatus.
What is the Importance of Trademark Classification?
When you are running a business, you are trading goods and services. You need to know the category of products you are dealing with because it helps you to file the trademarks accordingly.
It makes the process of trademark registration more efficient and convenient for companies. However, applying for the wrong class can lead companies to lose their trademark rights in the case of an infringement. Filing a right trademark registration can help you gain legal grounds if any kind of issue arises in the future.
It has made identifying products and their regulation much easier for the relevant authorities.
More about the Trademark Class 14
Trademark class 14 includes precious metals and their alloys like gold, silver, bronze, etc., precious and semi-precious stones like ruby, sapphire, etc., jewellery items, and chronometric instruments.
Goods included under Class 14
- Jewellery items (imitation jewellery and other jewellery consisting of precious metals and stones)
- Cufflinks, Tie pins
Goods not included under class 14
- Amalgams (mercury alloys) for use in dentistry
- Smartwatches
- Cutlery
- Pen tips made from gold
- Gold and silver embroidery
- Electric contacts made from gold
- Cigar boxes made from precious items
- Some items are made from precious metals. These are meant to be functional and not just for cosmetic or show-off purposes like metal foils or powders used in art.
- Other special commodities (refer to alphabetical list of goods)
Also read: Trademark Check – How to Check if Trademark is Available | Legaltree
List of goods included under class 14
Products which are intended to be included under the Trademark Class 14 are divided into 3 groups –
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Class 14 group |
List of goods |
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Precious metals, pearls, gemstones and imitations |
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Jewellery and other items meant for personal adornment |
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Time Instruments and other relevant items |
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Statues, sculptures and figurines |
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Jewellery Boxes Watch Boxes and other similar items |
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Also read: How to Check Trademark Status – Complete Procedure For Checking Trademark Status
Conclusion
In a nutshell, it can be stated that with high competition in the market, having information about the goods and their respective trademark class can help the application for the correct trademark registration process. It makes the task of trademark registration a lot easier for you and can save you a lot of legal expenses and time, giving you an upper hand over your competitors. A trademark classification is an efficient and modern way of segregating different goods and services and has played an important role in refining the trademark registration process.
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