The 13th Edition of the Nice Classification

Key Changes and Implications for Trademark Practice

On January 1, 2026, the 13^th edition of the Nice Classification (NCL 13‑2026), the international system for classifying goods and services used for the registration of marks, officially came into effect. New editions are released every three years, with annual updates to ensure the system stays current.

The new edition includes new entries and reallocations of goods and services across classes, making it essential for trademark practitioners and brand owners to review the changes when preparing new applications, monitoring existing portfolios, or conducting searches for potential conflicts.

Key Changes in Goods Classification

• Essential oils are now classified according to their intended use: essential oils for use in manufacture fall under Class 1, essential oils for cosmetic purposes and essential oils for fragrance remain in Class 3, essential oils for medical use are classified in Class 5.
• Optical products such as glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses have been moved from Class 9 to Class 10, reflecting their medical and therapeutic use. Smart glasses, however, remain in Class 9.
• Fire trucks, fire boats, and lifeboats are now in Class 12, aligning them with the broader category of vehicles.
• Clutch linings have been removed from Class 17 and are classified according to their use: for land vehicles in Class 12, otherwise in Class 7.
• Electric toothbrushes have been moved from Class 10 to Class 21.
• Electrically heated clothing that is not intended for protection against accidents or medical purposes is reclassified from Class 11 to Class 25, reflecting its nature as apparel.
• Yoga equipment has been classified according to type: yoga cushions are now in Class 20, yoga gloves in Class 25, and yoga blocks in Class 28.

Key Changes in Services

• In Class 39, a new service, rental of delivery robots, has been added.
• In Class 41, providing rage rooms for entertainment purposes and presentation of drone light shows are now recognized as distinct services, highlighting how emerging leisure and recreational activities are formally incorporated into trademark classification.
• Artificial intelligence as a service (AIaaS) is newly included in Class 42.
• Providing airport lounges is now recognized as a service in Class 43.

Regional perspective: implications for multi-jurisdictional filings

While the 13^th edition of the Nice Classification applies internationally as a harmonized system, its practical implementation varies across jurisdictions, which is particularly relevant for applicants filing in multiple countries. In practice, national offices do not always adopt updates simultaneously or in the same manner.

Across the Western Balkans — Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia and Albania — the 13^th edition has been in force from January 1, 2026.

Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Russia and Moldova also apply the 13^th edition from its official entry into force date.

In contrast, certain jurisdictions apply the updated classification with transitional or practice-based approaches rather than a strictly uniform implementation date.

In Armenia, full implementation of the updates typically takes approximately 2–3 months due to the necessary editing and translation of the goods and services lists.

The Kazakh PTO generally aligns its transition to updated classifiers with WIPO’s official schedule, whereby changes take effect at the beginning of the calendar year following the approval of a new edition.

In Turkmenistan, the PTO is currently still using the 9^th edition of the Nice Classification. It remains unclear whether subsequent editions will be adopted sequentially or whether the 13^th edition will be implemented in a single step, and no information is available regarding the timeline for its adoption following official approval.

In Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the PTOs require the use of the 13^th edition of the Nice Classification for lists of goods and/or services in trademark applications from January 2026; however, no specific timelines have been established for the full implementation of future updates.

Practical Implications

• When preparing applications, review goods and services in their newly assigned classes while also taking into account the classes they were previously listed under. This is particularly relevant in jurisdictions still operating under earlier editions — Turkmenistan, for example, still applies the 9^th edition.
• Assess similarity based on the actual goods and services, not the class numbers. For example, glasses registered under Class 9 in an earlier application and under Class 10 in a later one should be evaluated on the products themselves, rather than the classes in which they appear.
• When opposing marks, conduct comprehensive searches across all relevant goods and services to ensure potential conflicts are identified, rather than limiting your review to a single class.

By focusing on the actual content and nature of goods and services — not just their class numbers — trademark owners can more effectively protect their brands and navigate the updated classification system.

If you have pending applications or renewals across any of the relevant jurisdictions, please contact us to review how these changes may affect your portfolio.