Understanding trademark classification - Class 13 of the trademark manual

International classification for trademarks - Class 13:

Trademark Class 13 is one of 45 NICE classifications used to classify products and/or services.

Class 13 for trademarks a brief description: 

Class 13 is very interesting; it includes real weapons and entertaining fireworks. When you look at this class, you should make sure what you need for your business because if your work is related to entertainment Fireworks, for example, you might need to register your trademark on Class 28 as well since it includes “Christmas crackers, toy air pistols…..etc.”.

Class (13) of the nice classification of goods and services for classifying trademarks mainly includes Firearms; ammunition and projectiles; explosives; fireworks.

Class 13 for trademarks header: 

Firearms; ammunition and projectiles; explosives; fireworks.

Class 13 trademark application Owners:

• Lockheed Martin corporation
• General dynamics corporation
• Textron inc
• Woodward
• Bharat small arms pvt ltd
• Olin corporation
• Melrose pyrotechnics, inc
• Pyro spectaculars, inc
• Colt industries operation corp.
• Reaction dynamics lab

Some famous brands from the region explained and illustrated in Class 29 include;

• Das Group
• El Orouba Misr Company for Reconstruction and Development

Class 13 includes, in particular:

• Flare pistols;
• Rescue flares, explosive or pyrotechnic
• Explosive fog signals, signal rocket flares;
• Air pistols as weapons;

Classes coordinated with Class 13:

When thinking of the Class 13 trademark classification, one should keep in mind that the class has multiple overlapping products with goods from classes 4, 8, 9, 11, 28, and 34. Therefore, these classes are said to be coordinated classes with the highest risk of potential confusion. To ensure you are choosing the right class for your trademark before you protect under class 13 make sure to rule out all the coordinated classes -

Class 4 – Industrial oils and greases, wax; lubricants; dust absorbing, wetting, and binding compositions; fuels and illuminants; candles and wicks for lighting.

Class 8 – Hand tools and implements, hand-operated; cutlery; side arms, except firearms; razors.

Class 9 – Scientific, research, navigation, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, audiovisual, optical, weighing, measuring, signaling, detecting, testing, inspecting, life-saving, and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling the distribution or use of electricity; apparatus and instruments for recording, transmitting, reproducing or processing sound, images or data; recorded and downloadable media, computer software, blank digital or analog recording and storage media; mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating devices; computers and computer peripheral devices; diving suits, divers' masks, ear plugs for divers, nose clips for divers and swimmers, gloves for divers, breathing apparatus for underwater swimming; fire-extinguishing apparatus.

Class 11 – Apparatus and installations for lighting, heating, cooling, steam generating, cooking, drying, ventilating, water supply, and sanitary purposes.

Class 28 – Games, toys, and playthings; video game apparatus; gymnastic and sporting articles; decorations for Christmas trees.

Class 34 – Tobacco and tobacco substitutes; cigarettes and cigars; electronic cigarettes and oral vaporizers for smokers; smokers' articles; matches.

Changes in the nice classification relating to trademark goods on Class 13

There were no changes to the goods on Class (13)

Trademark Class 13 and the Metaverse:

The metaverse can be interpreted as an immersive online experience that uses virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology and hardware – in theory, a world of limitless imagination identical to reality.

This means the presence of virtual products that are sold and bought to enhance the similarity of the metaverse to reality and thus the existence of trademarks for these products.

However, since Metaverses are a platform that simulates video games, this means that if a company wants to expand its business within Metaverse now, it must register on the special classes related to software such as Class 9.

Therefore, weapons and fireworks companies can expand by selling digital products that simulate real weapons using NFT technology, and in this case, they have to register, as we explained previously, in Class 9, as well as classes 28 and 41.

In addition, perhaps soon, we will see a new classification or an increase in new classes to the current Nice classification, which includes digital products of all kinds.

Understanding the main elements of Class 13: 

The EUIPO in collaboration with WIPO has developed a hierarchy of goods and services within a class to link the different products and to make the classification process easier. The hierarchy does not have any legal effect in trademark examination or the comparison of goods and services: it was only created as an assistive tool.

Class 13 in Nice classification is divided into the subsections below:

Trademark Class 13 - Subsection 1 –

• Explosive substances and devices, other than arms meat spreads
• Firecrackers
• Fireworks
• Flare pistols

Trademark Class 13 - Subsection 2 – 

• Pyrotechnics
• Bengal lights
• Detonating fuses for explosive
• Rocket launchers

Trademark Class 13 - Subsection 3 –

• Weapons and ammunition cheese
• Firearms
• Gun carriages [artillery]
• Guns [weapons]
• Machine guns
• Hunting firearms/sporting firearms
• Hand grenades