LEGAL INSIGHTS

Nice Classification Explained: All 45 Classes with Practical Examples

MAY 2026 · 7 min read

Every trademark is registered in at least one class of the international Nice Classification. The class is the map of your legal protection — your mark is not protected outside it, no matter how famous it becomes. Understanding the system determines whether you get real protection or just a paper on the wall.

What Is the Nice Classification?

The Nice Classification is an international system adopted by WIPO that divides all goods and services into 45 classes: Classes 1–34 for goods and 35–45 for services.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the system, and SAIP uses it as the official reference for every trademark registration.

Why the Class Defines Protection Scope

If you register in Class 25 (clothing), no one can register an identical name for clothing — but they may register it for canned foods (Class 29). The class is the "legal geography" of your mark.

Exception: internationally well-known marks enjoy protection beyond their class, but proving "well-known" status is a heavy evidentiary burden.

Most-Used Classes in Saudi Arabia

Class 35 (Advertising & Business): marketing companies, e-commerce, agencies. The most-filed class in the local market.

Class 9 (Electronics & Software): apps, smart devices, software. Essential for any tech company.

Classes 29, 30, 32 (Food & Beverages): food companies, restaurants with packaged products, soft drinks.

Class 43 (Restaurant & Lodging Services): restaurants, cafés, hotels.

Multi-Class Registration: When Is It Necessary?

If your activity spans multiple goods and services (a restaurant selling its packaged products, or a fashion brand selling via an e-commerce store), you must register in every relevant class.

Each class carries a separate fee. Multi-class registration is real legal investment, not a "side add-on."

Common Mistake: Registering in an Adjacent Class

A Saudi equipment-rental company registered in Class 35 (business) instead of Class 39 (transport & rental). Result: it could not stop a competitor using the identical name for the actual rental service.

Substantive examination tests fit with the chosen class, not with everything the company might do later.

How We Pick the Right Classes

At Rights we start with a survey of the client's actual and projected (3–5 year) activity, then identify Core and Support classes.

This upfront study avoids supplementary registrations later, which cost double in fees and more time.

Summary

Understanding the Nice Classification is not a technical detail — it is the decision that defines your trademark's long-term legal value. Class selection is 50% of real protection; the other 50% comes from drafting quality and follow-up.