14. Annex A1 - History of the classification system

HISTORY OF THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

The International Classification and the Nice Agreement

In 1934 a new classification for international purposes was drawn up at an International Conference held in London under the auspices of the United International Bureau for the Protection of Intellectual Property (BIRPI), a predecessor of WIPO. The International Classification became the subject of the Nice Agreement in 1957 when a number of countries agreed to adopt it for use in the registration of trade marks.

Australia acceded to the Nice Agreement.

Amendments to the International Classification

The following editions of the International Classification have been published, subsequent to the Nice Agreement:

First edition 1963

Second edition 1971

Third edition 1981

Fourth edition 1983

Fifth edition 1987

Sixth edition 1992

Seventh edition 1996

Eighth edition 2001

Ninth edition 2007

Tenth edition 2012

Eleventh edition 2017

Further information on the various editions:

• The first and second editions were only published in French as the official text.

• An official English translation was published separately in 1965. This was updated in 1967, 1970, 1971, and twice in 1974.

• The third edition of the International Classification was published in both English and French with both languages being authentic texts. This became effective on 1st February 1981. No changes of goods or services from one class to another were involved.

• The changes introduced in the fourth edition became effective on 1st June 1983.

• The changes introduced in the fifth edition became effective on 1st January 1987.

• The changes introduced in the sixth edition became effective on 1st January 1992.

• The changes introduced in the seventh edition became effective on 1st January 1997.

• The changes introduced in the eighth edition became effective on 1st January 2002. In this edition class 42 was revised and three new service classes were added. There are now thirty four goods classes and eleven service classes.

• The changes introduced in the ninth edition became effective on 1st January 2007.

• The changes introduced in the tenth edition became effective on 1st January 2012.

• Since 2013, a new version of each edition is published annually. The current version is the eleventh edition. It entered into force on January 1, 2017