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Respondemos todas aquellas dudas referentes a los diferentes procesos implicados en la propiedad industrial.

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When you request a trademark or trade name you have to indicate which products and/or services or activities you wish to protect with said distinctive sign.

The International (Nice) Classification has been drawn up for this purpose and consists of 45 classes, each one covering a group of related products or services. At a European level there is a harmonised classification of products and services, a repository of validated classification terms which is used by all the offices in the EU, including the EUIPO.

The Nice classification groups products and services into 45 different classes: A total of 34 for products and 11 for services.

On top of this classification, the EU offices have created the “harmonised” classification, comprised of a repository of descriptive terms for products or services which are accepted by all the offices within the EU.

Each class consists of a series of interrelated products or services. For example class 32 is for:

CLASS 32

Beers; drinks without alcohol; mineral waters; fruit-based beverages and fruit juices; syrups and other non-alcoholic preparations for making beverages.

Furthermore, together with the general name or title of the class are examples of terms that describe specific products or services protected by each class which may originate from the Nice classification or the European “harmonised” classification. For example, in class 32: “flavoured beers” or “hop extract to make beers” which can be used to specify the type of product or service to be protected in a clearer, more precise way.

When applying for a trademark, the applicant may request protection under as many classes of goods and services as necessary (up to 45, which is the total number of classes). Although only one application and one form needs to be submitted, an application fee is payable for each class included on the application.

To find the most suitable class or classes for the product or service you wish to register, you can go to the databases section of the SPTO web page, Trademarks and Trade Names, where you will find an application (CLINMAR) that incorporates the Nice International Classification of Products and Services and the classification shared by the European trademark offices (Harmonised).

This system enables you to view the definitions of the 45 classes of products and services and allows you to perform searches entering key words, offering guidance on the classifications that can be used for each product or service (Nice and harmonised).