Future Development of the Nice Classification System

Resolution of the Executive Committee, Istanbul, Türkiye
21-24 April 2026

“Future Development of the Nice Classification System”

FICPI, the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys, broadly representative of the free profession throughout the world, assembled at its Executive Committee held in Istanbul, Türkiye, 21 to 24 April 2026, passed the following resolution:

RECOGNISING that the Nice Classification system provides a globally recognised framework for the classification of goods and services, facilitating the filing, examination, search and administration of trade mark rights across jurisdictions;

ACKNOWLEDGING that the Nice Classification has achieved near-universal adoption worldwide and constitutes an important component of international trade mark systems;

NOTING that users and practitioners identify important benefits of the system, including improved administrative efficiency, greater legal certainty and the facilitation of trade mark searches, watches and comparison of goods and services;

FURTHER NOTING that challenges have been identified in the current system, including the rigidity of certain classifications, the uneven distribution of goods and services among classes, and divergences of the application of the Nice Classification and in examination practices between Intellectual Property Offices;

OBSERVING that the rapid development of new technologies, digital products and services, and evolving business models requires the classification system to adapt more quickly to commercial realities and the Intellectual Property Offices to be open and flexible in accepting goods and services descriptions;

BELIEVING that the abolition of the Nice Classification would lead to loss of international standardisation, increased complexity in trade mark searches, watches and examination, and greater legal uncertainty for users;

FICPI therefore RESOLVES its position is that:

1. The Nice Classification should continue to be maintained as the internationally recognised system for the classification of goods and services.
2. The Nice Classification should be further developed and adapted to better reflect evolving commercial and technological realities.
3. WIPO and national and regional Intellectual Property Offices should promote greater harmonisation in the interpretation and acceptance of goods and services descriptions, in order to improve consistency for trade mark users worldwide.
4. Consideration should be given to more frequent updates and structural improvements, including possible expansion or refinement of classes where appropriate.
5. Intellectual Property Offices should embrace greater openness and flexibility in accepting goods and services descriptions and give necessary guidance if they deem such descriptions are unacceptable or require revision.
6. Intellectual Property Offices should also strive to harmonise their practices regarding the classification of goods and services in trade mark applications and registrations, in order to ensure alignment with the latest editions of the Nice Classification.

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