Technology

International Trademark Class – Class 16 (Paper Articles and Printed Material)

All goods or services are classified within the International Classes (IC hereinafter). Goods range from classes IC 1-34, while services are in IC 35-45. Let’s take a closer look at one of these trademark classes: Class 16.

What is International Class 16 all about?

Each class has a short title that gives an idea of ​​what that class is about: IC 16’s short title is Paper and Printed Articles. But, as with any trademark, there is more to it than that.

Anything that is made of paper or printed is in IC 16, which includes things like posters, journals, greeting cards, art prints, magazines, books, calendars, etc.

What about the book titles?

This is a caveat worth exploring a bit. Titles of a single creative work are not protected by trademark law; however, trademark registration may be possible if the title is used in a series of creative works. Let’s dig a little deeper into this.

Individual creative works consist of materials in which the content does not change, such as a book, a DVD, downloadable songs, and a movie. Unique creative works do not include periodically published publications, such as magazines, newsletters, brochures, comics, comic strips, or printed instructional materials, because the content of these works changes with each issue.

When it comes to titles for a series of books, the logic is the same. While the title remains the same, the content changes. Take a look at the introduction to Ring of Fates, part of The Final Fantasy catalogue: “a series of books featuring fictional and/or fantasy stories.”

What else is in international class 16?

The USPTO has 1,515 accepted descriptions that fit IC 16; check them out here.

It seems that with any of these trademark classes, there always seems to be an odd item or two and the IC 16 is no exception. Here are some items that live in IC 16 that seem a bit off:

or cd shredders for home or office use

or balloons

or cosmetic pencil sharpener and paper remover

money clip

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