13th edition of Nice Classification to enter into force on 1 January 2026

The 13th edition of the Nice Classification will come into force on 1 January 2026. The Nice Classification guide is administered by WIPO and is used to classify all goods and services into one of 45 classes for the purpose of drafting specifications for trade mark applications. There are currently 84 states which are party to the Nice Agreement, in addition to users such as WIPO and the EUIPO.

One of the key changes in this version will be the reclassification of sunglasses and eyewear from class 9 to class 10, with the aim of placing these goods in a medically orientated class, as opposed to class 9, which is increasingly the class for technological goods. Therefore, brand owners should take this opportunity to review their trade mark specifications to ensure that new applications include correctly classified terms, although it will not be necessary to amend existing trade mark registrations.

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