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Nice Classification

The “Nice Classification" ("International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks", NCL) is an international classification system for trade mark applications. The name is a reference to an agreement concluded at a diplomatic conference held in Nice on 15 June 1957, establishing the classification. The Federal Republic of Germany is a contracting party to this agreement.

The Nice Classification is subdivided into 45 classes in total, of which 34 are for goods and eleven for services. Each class contains a class heading and an explanatory note. Information on the interpretation of the Nice class headings is available at Classification Practice.

Editions and versions of the Nice Classification

In order to keep the Nice Classification up to date, it is continuously revised. A new edition is usually published every three years and, since 2013, a new version of each edition is published annually.

A new version of the classification can contain new entries or deletions and modifications of existing entries. Major amendments such as changes of classes, the creation of new classes or deletion of existing classes are only made in the editions, published every three years.

There is no paper publication of the Nice Classification.

Version 2025 of the twelfth edition of the Nice Classification (NCL 12-2025) came into force on 1 January 2025.

The German edition of the list of classes and the alphabetical lists of goods and services applied to the procedures before the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), which is based on the Nice Classification, is published in the Bundesanzeiger (Federal Gazette): "Bekanntmachung der Klasseneinteilung und der alphabetischen Listen der Waren und Dienstleistungen".

Version 2025 of the twelfth edition of the Nice Classification
(in German)

Nice Agreement and Madrid Agreement

English and French editions

The English and French editions of the Nice Classification are available on the externer Link WIPO website.

Earlier versions of the twelfth edition of the Nice Classification
(in German)

2024

2023

Earlier versions of the eleventh edition of the Nice Classification
(in German)

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Earlier editions and versions of the Nice Classification
(in German)

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2007

2002

1997

1992

Excel versions of the Nice Classification
(in German)

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Last updated: 23 December 2024