What trade mark classes mean and how to pick yours

IP Australia sorts every kind of goods and services into 45 trade mark classes. Classes 1 to 34 are for goods, and classes 35 to 45 are for services. Each class has a heading that sums up what it holds. For example, class 1 begins "Chemicals for industry", and class 35 covers retail, advertising and business management.

An application names one or more classes and, within each class, the particular goods or services the mark is used for. The registration then covers those goods and services.

Two facts from IP Australia make the choice worth some care.

First, the cost depends on the number of classes. IP Australia's fee for a trade mark application is $250 per class using the pick list, or $400 per class without it. As IP Australia puts it, the more you choose, the more you pay.

Second, the goods and services can't be added to later. Once an application is submitted, new goods and services can't be added to it. Adding new ones means filing a new application.

IP Australia's first step is to work out whether a business makes goods, provides services, or does both. Goods are in classes 1 to 34. Services are in classes 35 to 45. A business that does both can end up with classes from each range. For example, a café that also sells its own packaged coffee beans offers a service and sells goods.

IP Australia's main tool for choosing classes is its pick list, at tmgns.search.ipaustralia.gov.au. IP Australia says it makes it easier to choose the right classes and reduces the chance of a mistake. It also costs less: a discount applies when the pick list is used, and it calculates the cost as you go.

The pick list works by searching for the goods or services a business deals in. IP Australia notes that trying variations of a word helps find the right class.

IP Australia's guide to picking classes includes these points:

• Choose goods and services that aren't too specific, to leave some room for future expansion.
• After choosing a class, select the particular items in it that apply.
• Internal business functions don't need their own classes. A business doesn't need to pick classes to cover how it runs itself.
• Branded promotional items don't need extra classes either. A logo on a free pen or a staff t-shirt doesn't mean adding the classes for pens or clothing.

IP Australia also publishes separate guidance on classifying virtual goods, the metaverse and NFTs.

For anyone unsure whether a mark and its classes are likely to be accepted, IP Australia offers a pre-application service called TM Headstart. Its fees page lists $200 for the TM Headstart request and $130 to convert it into a standard application.

Classes matter after an application too. CopyCatcher, for example, compares each new filing with your mark in the same class and in related classes, and rates a match in the same class higher than one in a related class.

• What are classes of goods and services
• How to pick classes of goods and services
• Trade mark timeframes and fees
• Trade mark pick list

Last checked: 4 October 2026. Fees change, so check IP Australia's pages before you rely on them.

This is information only, not legal advice.

CopyCatcher watches new Australian trade mark filings in your classes every week and tells you when one comes close to your name. See plans and pricing.