Nice classification of goods and services for trade mark applications - 10th edition

The tenth edition of the International (Nice) Classification of Goods and Services for the purposes of the registration of trade marks will come into effect on 1 January 2012.

The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) will deal with trade mark applications in the following manner:

- Applications filed up until 23 December 2011 must be in accordance with the ninth edition.

- Due to the Christmas holiday close down period, applications filed from 24 December 2011 until 3 January 2012 will receive a filing date of 4 January 2012. These applications will need to be in accordance with the tenth edition of the classification of goods and services.

Some classifications have changed. For example, dietary and nutritional supplements are now classified in class 5 (previously classes 29 and 30); nappies will now fall in class 5 (previously 16 and 25); and game consoles of all types now fall in class 28 (previously “games (apparatus for —) adapted for use with an external display screen or monitor” were in class 9).

It will be possible to apply to have a trade mark converted from the 9th to the 10th edition. Feel free to contact one of our trade mark experts if you wish to discuss this option.

For the complete version of the classifications under the 10th edition see the list of goods and services in class order as published by WIPO.