Every proprietor seeking to register a trademark for products or services must at the very least do so under one of the 45 classes of trademarks listed above, each class denoting a different category of goods or services.
INTRODUCTION
A registered trademark is a symbol of identity and differentiation that distinguishes a particular provider’s goods or services from those of other sellers in the market, and provides access to the valuable reputation that has been developed over time via trademark use. In accordance with trademark classification, trademark applications are organized based on the description and range of the type of goods and services the mark relates to. When a trademark applicant intends to register a mark for more than one class of goods, he/shemust submit separate applications for each category of goods.
The 45 classes of goods and services covered by trademarks in Nigeria are consistent with the Nice International Classification of Goods and Services of the Nice Agreement 1957.Classes 1 through 34 deal with products, while Classes 35 through 45 deal with services.
The following are the listings of trademark classes in Nigeria:
CLASSES FOR GOODS
Class 1: Chemicals used in industry, science, and photography, as well as in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry; unprocessed artificial resins, unprocessed plastics; manures; fire extinguishing compositions; tempering and soldering preparations; chemical substances for preserving foodstuffs; tanning substances; adhesives used in industry; unprocessed plastics in the form of liquids, chips or granules.
Class 2: Paints, varnishes, lacquers; preservatives against rust and against deterioration of wood; colorants; mordants; raw natural resins; metals in foil and powder form for painters, decorators, printers, and artists.
Class 3: Bleaching preparations and other substances for laundry use; cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations; soaps; perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions; dentifrices.
Class 4: Industrial oils and greases; lubricants; dust absorbing, wetting, and binding compositions; fuels and illuminants; candles and wicks for lighting; combustible fuels, electricity, and scented candles.
Class 5: Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations; sanitary preparations for medical purposes; dietetic food and substances adapted for medical or veterinary use, food for babies; dietary supplements for humans and animals; plasters, materials for dressings; material for stopping teeth, dental wax; disinfectants; preparations for destroying vermin; fungicides, herbicides.
Class 6: Common metals and their alloys; metal building materials; transportable buildings of metal; materials of metal for railway tracks; non-electric cables and wires of common metal; ironmongery, small items of metal hardware; pipes and tubes of metal; safes; goods of common metal not included in other classes; ores; unwrought and partly wrought common metals; metallic windows and doors; metallic framed conservatories.
Class 7: Machines and machine tools; motors and engines (except for land vehicles); machine coupling and transmission components (except for land vehicles); agricultural implements other than hand-operated; incubators for eggs; automatic vending machines.
Class 8: Hand tools and hand-operated implements; cutlery; side arms; razors; electric razors and hair cutters.
Class 9: Scientific, nautical, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signaling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling electricity; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; compact discs, DVDs and other digital recording media; mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment, computers; computer software; fire-extinguishing apparatus.
Class 10: Surgical, medical, dental, and veterinary apparatus, and instruments, artificial limbs, eyes, and teeth; orthopaedic articles; suture materials; sex aids; massage apparatus; supportive bandages; furniture adapted for medical use.
Class 11: Apparatus for lighting, heating, steam generating, cooking, refrigerating, drying, ventilating, water supply, and sanitary purposes; air conditioning apparatus; electric kettles; gas and electric cookers; vehicle lights and vehicle air conditioning units.
Class 12: Vehicles; apparatus for locomotion by land, air, or water; wheelchairs; motors and engines for land vehicles; vehicle body parts and transmissions.
Class 13: Firearms; ammunition and projectiles, explosives; fireworks.
Class 14: Precious metals and their alloys; jewelry, costume jewelry, precious stones; horological and chronometric instruments, clocks, and watches.
Class 15: Musical instruments; stands and cases adapted for musical instruments.
Class 16: Paper, cardboard, and goods made from these materials, not included in other classes; printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; stationery; adhesives for stationery or household purposes; artists’ materials; paint brushes; typewriters and office requisites (except furniture); instructional and teaching material (except apparatus); plastic materials for packaging (not included in other classes); printers’ type; printing blocks.
Class 17: Rubber, gutta-percha, gum, asbestos, mica, and goods made from these materials; plastics in extruded form for use in manufacture; semi-finished plastics materials for use in further manufacture; stopping and insulating materials; flexible non-metallic pipes.
Class 18: Leather and imitations of leather; animal skins, hides; trunks and travelling bags; handbags, rucksacks, purses; umbrellas, parasols, and walking sticks; whips, harness, and saddlery; clothing for animals.
Class 19: Non-metallic building materials; non-metallic rigid pipes for building; asphalt, pitch, and bitumen; non-metallic transportable buildings; non-metallic monuments; non-metallic framed conservatories, doors, and windows.
Class 20: Furniture, mirrors, picture frames; articles made of wood, cork, reed, cane, wicker, horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, amber, mother-of-pearl, meerschaum or plastic which are not included in other classes; garden furniture; pillows and cushions.
Class 21: Household or kitchen utensils and containers; combs and sponges; brushes; brush-making materials; articles for cleaning purposes; steel wool; articles made of ceramics, glass, porcelain or earthenware which are not included in other classes; electric and non-electric toothbrushes.
Class 22: Ropes, string, nets, tents, awnings, tarpaulins, sails, and sacks for transporting bulk materials; padding and stuffing materials that are not made of rubber or plastics; raw fibrous textile materials.
Class 23: Yarns and threads, for textile use.
Class 24: Textiles and textile goods; bed and table covers; travellers’ rugs, textiles for making articles of clothing; duvets; covers for pillows, cushions, or duvets.
Class 25: Clothing, footwear, headgear.