The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a final rule to incorporate classification changes to the Nice Classification adopted by the contracting parties to the Nice Agreement, an international treaty recognized by over 90 countries. The Nice Classification simplifies and streamlines the drafting of goods and services in trademark applications for customers around the world. This rule adds new services to, or deletes existing services from, the class headings for Class 36 and Class 45 to further define the types of services appropriate to the classes.
These changes are included in the Nice Classification, 12th edition, version 2023 (NCL 12-2023), which takes effect on January 1, 2023. These changes will also be available in the USPTO’s Trademark Next Generation ID Manual on January 1, 2023. USPTO