Back to Classes of goods & services

To what extent is the success of trademark registration dependent on the scope of classes included on the application?

Written by Jan Buza

Co-founder of Trama

The classes selected do not affect the inherent registrability of the mark; distinctiveness and conflicts with existing marks are assessed on a class-by-class basis regardless of how many are included. Adding more classes does not make a strong mark stronger or a weak mark weaker.

What the class scope does affect is the probability of encountering a conflict in at least one class. The more classes included, the more existing registrations the application is measured against. An application in ten classes has a statistically higher chance of triggering a conflict somewhere in the range than one in two classes, simply due to the broader territory covered.

Related questions

Trademark Registration: DIY vs Professional Service

Filing for trademark registration is something anybody can do with a single online application. Many business owners, however, decide to wait with trademark registration because the process can appear quite complicated at first sight. Applying without a legal representative can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Mistakes and errors are easy to make and can lead to weak trademark protection or the rejection of your trademark registration altogether.

Airbnb versus Hairbnb: How trademark protects against unexpected threats

Taking a creative spin on an already established and renown brand may seem as a good strategy for devising a name for a startup company but it may backfire. This article summarises one of the contemporary cases in this area, revealing that Airbnb’s trademark protects the company against unexpected threats.

Stories of our clients: Greca

From travellers, for travellers. A simple, yet powerful, motto underpins the convenient services provided by Greca, an online travel agency, founded by Greca Guido Colombo. “Even with a pandemic and a war, people are still trusting us with their dreams” and it is our pride at Trama to help protect this exciting travel agency.