You need to think carefully when you register a trade mark as to the exact goods and services that your mark will run under. It is impossible to register for every single class type. This is because you cannot have a monopoly over your mark name in every class category and prevent the business from expanding and adapting.
Goods and services are covered under ‘classes’. These categorises are grouped together for the ease of registration. You can, however, register a number of classes for which covers your brands goods and services.
When applying for a trade mark you need to make sure that you register under the correct classes to fully protect your brand and stop your registration from being a waste.
Goods and services are listed under classes 1 to 45 (part 2 of this article will investigate each class term). Each class specification can be expanded from the general class headings and tailored to your brand. You need to make sure that the class specifications are not vague terms.
Trade mark protection lasts for 10 years therefore the classes you use not only need to cover the current brand you also need to look ahead to the future. If you wish to expand the class specification during that 10-year period. You need to submit a new application. You can also add or remove classes when renewing your application.
If you want to know more about class specifications and what classes are best suited for your brand, contact the Trademarkroom today.
Anna Orchard
