Trademark Guides

Nice Class 9 — Electronics & Software

The most filed trademark class in the world. Hardware, software, apps, and every digital product starts here.

Nice Class 42 — Software Services

SaaS brands, cloud platforms, hosted tech services. If your product runs in a browser, this is your class.

Nice Class 35 — Business & Retail

Almost every consumer brand needs Class 35 for retail services — and most don't realize it until it's too late.

Nice Class 41 — Entertainment & Media

For creators, entertainers, educators, and media companies. The class that powers the content economy.

Nice Class 3 — Cosmetics & Personal Care

Skincare, haircare, perfumes, and beauty brands all live here. One of the most litigated classes in consumer goods.

Nice Class 5 — Pharma & Supplements

Drugs, dietary supplements, and medical preparations. The most legally complex class — FDA and USPTO both apply.

Nice Class 43 — Food Services & Restaurants

Restaurants, cafés, hotels, and food delivery brands. McDonald's, Starbucks, and Marriott all start here.

Nice Class 36 — Financial Services

Banking, insurance, fintech, and real estate. Where trust is the product and brand confusion is a systemic risk.

Nice Class 1 — Industrial Chemicals

Industrial and scientific chemicals, unprocessed plastics, fertilizers, and industrial adhesives — the raw-inputs class.

Nice Class 2 — Paints & Coatings

Paints, varnishes, lacquers, pigments, and protective coatings. The finished-color class, one step on from raw chemistry.

Nice Class 4 — Fuels, Oils & Candles

Industrial oils, lubricants, fuels, and candles. An unusual mix where motor oil and scented candles share a class.

Nice Class 6 — Metal Goods & Hardware

Common metals, metal building materials, hardware, pipes, and safes. The mirror of the non-metal Class 19.

Nice Class 7 — Machines & Power Tools

Powered machines, motors, and power tools. The motorized-versus-manual line that splits Class 7 from Class 8.

Nice Class 8 — Hand Tools & Cutlery

Hand-operated tools, cutlery, and razors. Where Gillette, Wüsthof, and Leatherman protect their brands and designs.

Nice Class 10 — Medical Devices

Surgical, medical, and dental instruments and apparatus. Device, not drug — and FDA clearance runs alongside the trademark.

Nice Class 11 — Appliances & Lighting

Heating, cooling, cooking, refrigeration, and lighting apparatus. Where smart-home tech splits into Class 9.

Nice Class 12 — Vehicles & Automotive

Cars, motorcycles, bicycles, boats, and aircraft. Model names and emblems each carry their own protection.

Nice Class 13 — Firearms & Ammunition

Firearms, ammunition, explosives, and fireworks. A heavily regulated class where ATF compliance runs parallel to the trademark.

Nice Class 14 — Jewelry & Watches

Precious metals, jewelry, gemstones, watches, and clocks. Home of Tiffany Blue and the great color and design marks.

Nice Class 15 — Musical Instruments

Instruments and their parts. Iconic body shapes — the Stratocaster, the Les Paul — can be protected as trade dress.

Nice Class 16 — Paper & Publications

Paper, printed matter, books, stationery, and packaging. Print is Class 16; digital editions split into Class 9.

Nice Class 17 — Rubber & Plastics

Semi-finished rubber and plastics, insulation, seals, and hoses. The middle stage of the materials lifecycle.

Nice Class 18 — Leather Goods & Bags

Leather, handbags, luggage, and wallets. The bags class that pairs with Class 25 for nearly every fashion brand.

Nice Class 19 — Building Materials

Non-metal building materials — lumber, concrete, stone, and tile. The mirror of metal Class 6, paired with services in Class 37.

Nice Class 20 — Furniture

Furniture, mirrors, frames, and mattresses. Iconic furniture shapes can be protected as trade dress.

Nice Class 21 — Housewares

Cookware, dishes, glassware, and utensils — the non-electric household class. Where Yeti and Stanley protect their drinkware.

Nice Class 22 — Ropes & Raw Fibers

Ropes, nets, tents, tarpaulins, and raw textile fibers. The first link in the textile supply chain.

Nice Class 23 — Yarns & Threads

Spun yarns and threads for textile use — the middle stage between raw fibers and woven fabric.

Nice Class 24 — Textiles & Fabrics

Fabrics, bed linen, towels, and curtains. The home-textiles class, distinct from clothing in Class 25.

Nice Class 26 — Lace & Trimmings

Lace, ribbons, buttons, zippers, and sewing notions. The haberdashery class — home of YKK zippers.

Nice Class 27 — Carpets & Rugs

Carpets, rugs, linoleum, and wallpaper. Coverings laid over a finished floor or wall, distinct from building tile.

Nice Class 28 — Toys & Games

Toys, board games, puzzles, and sporting goods. Physical games are Class 28; video games are not.

Nice Class 29 — Meat & Dairy

Meat, fish, dairy, eggs, oils, and prepared foods. The protein-and-dairy half of the supermarket.

Nice Class 30 — Coffee & Bakery

Coffee, tea, bread, snacks, sauces, and staple foods. One of the busiest and most contested goods classes.

Nice Class 31 — Fresh Produce & Pet Food

Fresh produce, live plants, seeds, live animals, and pet food. The fresh-and-unprocessed class.

Nice Class 32 — Beer & Soft Drinks

Beer, soft drinks, juices, and energy drinks. Beer is the surprise here — it lives in 32, not 33.

Nice Class 33 — Wine & Spirits

Wine, spirits, and liqueurs — every alcohol except beer. Geographic indications and TTB labels add real complexity.

Nice Class 34 — Tobacco & Vapes

Tobacco, cigarettes, vaping products, and smokers' articles. Heavily regulated, with vaping driving modern filings.

Nice Class 37 — Construction & Repair

Building, repair, installation, and maintenance services. Materials are Class 19; the work of building is Class 37.

Nice Class 38 — Telecommunications

The transmission of voice, data, and messages. The pipe, not the app — comms products span 38, 9, and 42.

Nice Class 39 — Transport & Logistics

Transport, shipping, logistics, warehousing, and travel services. Ride-hailing and delivery need 39 plus a tech class.

Nice Class 40 — Manufacturing & Printing

Custom manufacturing, printing, recycling, and material treatment as a service. The made-to-order class.

Nice Class 44 — Medical & Beauty Services

Clinics, telehealth, dentistry, med-spas, and salons. Services, not products — the line with Class 5 and Class 35.

Nice Class 45 — Legal & Security Services

Legal, security, and personal services — the catch-all service class. Even dating apps file here.

The most competitive trademark state in the U.S. — tech brands, entertainment companies, and consumer goods all battle here.

Fashion, finance, and some of the most aggressive trademark enforcement in the country.

Energy, tech, and a brand scene that's changing fast. Three distinct cities, three different trademark markets.

Tourism, healthcare, and a growing tech sector. Orlando, Miami, and the complex trademark landscape in between.

60% of Fortune 500 companies incorporate here — but incorporation and trademark protection are entirely different.

Amazon and Microsoft call it home. The most tech-saturated trademark market outside of California.

Chicago's consumer brands, food giants, and financial exchanges make this the Midwest's most diverse trademark market.

Home to Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, Delta, and CNN. Atlanta's brand economy is bigger than most people realize.

The world capital of biotech and life sciences. University spinouts, pharma brands, and Boston fintech all compete here.

Las Vegas's hospitality machine and a growing tech sector. The most brand-intensive market per square mile in America.

Procter & Gamble's backyard and the Midwest's most diverse trademark market. Consumer goods, healthcare, and retail all converge in Cincinnati and Columbus.

Hershey's, Vanguard, and Philadelphia's food culture. Penn's biotech corridor and Pittsburgh's steel-to-tech transformation make this a layered clearance market.

The outdoor industry, the craft beer capital, and the first recreational cannabis state. Federal trademark law creates unique conflicts here that exist nowhere else.

Northern Virginia's government contracting corridor and AWS's home base. Defense brands and federal tech services dominate Classes 35 and 42.

Research Triangle biotech, Charlotte banking, and NASCAR motorsports brands. One of the fastest-growing trademark markets in the South.

The US pharma corridor — J&J, Merck, Novartis all have deep NJ roots. Class 5 saturation here rivals any market in the country.

Phoenix's growing tech and real estate brand economy. Scottsdale's luxury wellness market and the semiconductor expansion reshaping the state.

Nashville's music industry owns Class 41. Jack Daniel's bourbon from Lynchburg has set landmark trademark precedents. FedEx anchors Memphis.

3M, Target, General Mills, and UnitedHealth — Minnesota has one of the highest Fortune 500 concentrations per capita of any US state.

The automotive trademark capital of the world. Ford, GM, and Stellantis have built the most litigated Class 12 and Class 37 portfolios in US history.

Nike's world headquarters is in Beaverton — making Oregon home to one of the most aggressive trademark enforcement programs on the planet.

Harley-Davidson's iconic Class 12 brand and the dairy/food industry's deep Class 29 roots. America's Dairyland is more trademark-active than you'd expect.

Under Armour in Baltimore, federal biotech in Rockville, and a government contracting corridor that generates dense Class 42 filings.

The Insurance Capital of the World — Aetna and The Hartford have built the most recognizable Class 36 portfolios in the country.

Eli Lilly's pharmaceutical empire and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's event brand. Class 5 and Class 41 define Indiana's trademark landscape.

Bourbon geographic indications, Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby brand, and Humana's healthcare empire. Brand identity here is inseparable from place.

Budweiser was born in St. Louis — and Anheuser-Busch's Class 32 portfolio has shaped beer trademark litigation worldwide. Kansas City adds its own brand story.

BMW manufacturing, Boeing aircraft, and a coastal tourism economy. South Carolina's trademark market spans German automotive prestige to Southern hospitality brands.

Silicon Slopes tech brands, Black Diamond outdoor gear, and a clean-living consumer culture that has produced distinctive brand identities across multiple classes.

Principal Financial, Pioneer seeds, and Quaker Oats' Midwest operations. Agricultural commodity meets branded consumer goods in Iowa's trademark market.

The aviation manufacturing capital of general aviation — Cessna and Beechcraft from Wichita. Pizza Hut was founded here, and Sprint started in Overland Park.

Berkshire Hathaway's Omaha headquarters anchors a surprisingly deep Class 36 financial services portfolio. ConAgra and Union Pacific add Class 29 and transportation brands.

The Indian Arts and Crafts Act creates a unique federal trademark overlay here. Southwestern lifestyle brands and national lab tech spinoffs round out a distinctive market.

Tabasco from Avery Island is one of America's oldest living trademarks. New Orleans music, food, and festival brands add a Class 41 and Class 30 story unlike any other state.

Oil and gas energy brands, western lifestyle marks, and Hobby Lobby's Class 16 retail portfolio. Oklahoma City's tech scene is growing but energy still dominates.

Walmart's global headquarters in Bentonville runs one of the most aggressive Class 35 trademark enforcement programs in retail. Tyson Foods adds deep Class 29 density.

Gulf Coast casino brands, agricultural commodity marks, and a small but distinct southern food identity brand economy. Healthcare brands fill the commercial gaps.

Huntsville's aerospace tech spinoffs, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai manufacturing, and UAB healthcare brands. Alabama's trademark landscape reflects a state in economic transition.

The Idaho Potato Commission holds one of the most recognized certification marks in American food. Micron Technology and Boise's growing tech scene add Class 9 depth.

Big Sky country produces outdoor lifestyle brands, ranching heritage marks, and a growing remote-work entrepreneur economy with surprisingly active trademark filings.

The most popular LLC formation state — but incorporation is not trademark protection. Jackson Hole luxury brands and Cheyenne Frontier Days define the actual trademark market.

Bakken oil energy brands, agricultural commodity marks, and a Fargo tech scene growing faster than most people expect from the nation's third-least-populous state.

Credit card companies incorporated here, Mount Rushmore tourism brands, and the Sturgis motorcycle rally's Class 41 portfolio. An unusual mix for a small state.

Energy sector brands in transition, New River Gorge outdoor tourism, and WVU Health System. A thin but distinct trademark market shaped by the state's industrial heritage.

Kona coffee's geographic origin battles and Hawaiian cultural IP sensitivity create a trademark landscape unlike any other US state. Tourism brands dominate Class 43.

Alaskan salmon and king crab certification marks, Alaska Airlines, and Native Alaskan cultural arts protection under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

No sales tax draws retail brands across the border. Dartmouth tech spinoffs and granite-state outdoor brands compete in a small but commercially active market.

Ben & Jerry's built one of America's great Class 30 brand stories here. Vermont maple syrup geographic origin protection and Green Mountain Coffee add to the artisan food identity.

Providence is the jewelry capital of the US — Class 14 density here is extraordinary. Hasbro's Class 28 portfolio (Monopoly, GI Joe, Nerf) anchors the toy and game market.

The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative's certification mark and L.L. Bean's outdoor brand are two of the most recognized regional marks in New England.