Describe your business
What you make or do, who buys it, and how you sell it. One or two sentences is enough.
Free and instant. Suggestions come from the 45-class reference used by the Indian Registry; a Trademark Attorney checks the emailed report on request. Information, not a solicitation.
File in
Consider adding
Watch out for
Government fee is ₹4,500 per class (₹9,000 for companies that are not MSME-registered). Our fixed professional fee covers the application; see the fee schedule.
Email me this report
You get the classes above in writing, and a Trademark Attorney will check them and run a name search if you reply with your brand. No charge.
A few follow-up emails explain the stages after filing; unsubscribe in one click.
Why the class matters more than the name
A trademark is registered for particular goods or services, not for everything. The 45 Nice classes (34 for goods, 11 for services) are how the Registry sorts them. Your registration stops others using a similar mark for the goods and services in your classes; in other classes, unless your brand is famous, it does not. Choose too narrowly and a competitor can use your name for the thing you actually sell; choose classes you do not use and you pay ₹4,500 each for protection you cannot enforce, and the registration can be attacked for non-use after five years.
The four mistakes the finder is built to catch
- Goods versus selling them. A brand that manufactures shoes is class 25. A shop that sells shoes is class 35. A brand that does both needs both. Most "we filed but we are not protected" stories start here.
- The app. If customers use software you provide, whether an app (class 9) or a hosted platform (class 42), that is a separate class from the service the software delivers.
- Food businesses. Packaged food is classes 29 to 33 by type; serving food is class 43. A pickle brand and a restaurant with the same name are in different classes.
- Descriptive names. "Pure Peanut Oil" describes the goods and will draw a Section 9 objection in any class. The finder flags a name that reads as a description of what you sell, so you can decide before paying the fee.
All 45 classes, with what each covers and which are usually filed together, are on the trademark classes list.
Frequently asked questions
Is the class finder accurate?
It applies the 45 Nice classes as the Indian Registry uses them, against your description, and is right for the large majority of ordinary businesses. It is a starting point, not a filing decision: borderline cases (a product that is also a service, a new kind of goods) need a Trademark Attorney to read the class headings and the Registry's practice. The emailed report gives you a free way to ask.
Why does it suggest more than one class?
Most businesses do more than one thing in trademark terms. A brand that makes clothes (class 25) and sells them online (class 35) needs both to be fully protected. The finder separates what you must file in from what is worth adding, so you can decide with the fee in front of you.
Can I add a class later?
Not to the same application. Each application covers the classes it was filed in; adding a class means a new application with its own fee and its own examination. That is why choosing the full set at the start is cheaper than fixing it later.
What does a class cost?
The government fee is ₹4,500 per class for individuals, start-ups, MSMEs and small enterprises, and ₹9,000 per class for other companies, paid to IP India. Our professional fee is per application and stated on the fee schedule.
Does the class choice affect objections?
Yes. The Registry searches for similar marks within the same and related classes. Filing in a class where an identical name already exists invites a Section 11 objection; filing only in a narrow class can leave your real business unprotected. The pitfalls section of the report flags the common version of each.
What happens to my description?
It is used to work out the classes and, if you ask for the report, to write the email. It is not sold or shared. The service is provided by registered Trademark Attorneys as information, not as a solicitation.
Information only. This guide explains a legal process in general terms; it is not legal advice and not a solicitation. Wording of statuses is as shown on IP India's public portal at the date above and may change.