🏥 Nice Class 44: Medical, Care & Beauty Services
The EUIPO register holds 121,919 trademarks in Class 44, the class for medical services, hygienic and beauty care (as of July 2026). (as of July 2026).
121,919
Marks in the EU register
71,845
Registered with the EUIPO
+13 %
Growth 2020–2024
53 %
Word mark share
Class 44 is the health class: it covers medical and veterinary services along with hygienic and beauty care for humans and animals, from doctors' practices and physiotherapy to beauty salons. The EUIPO register holds 121,919 trademarks in Class 44, of which 71,845 are registered (as of July 2026, EUIPO register data). The class keeps growing: new registrations rose from 6,565 in 2020 to 7,419 in 2024, a 13 percent increase, with another 6,981 added in 2025. What stands out is who dominates the class: not clinics or practice chains, but pharma and beauty groups. Gilead Sciences leads with 467 trademarks, followed by Novartis (399), L'Oréal (174), Eli Lilly (164) and lens maker Essilor (163). Product manufacturers use this class to secure the services around their products, such as patient programmes, advice and care offerings. 53 percent of the marks in Class 44 are word marks, so the name itself clearly takes centre stage.
What belongs in Class 44?
Class 44 covers three areas: medical services such as doctors' practices, clinics, telemedicine, physiotherapy and nursing care; veterinary services; and hygienic and beauty care, meaning beauty salons, hairdressers, massage and tattoo studios. Officially it also includes agriculture, horticulture and forestry services, such as garden design and landscaping. What gets protected is always the service performed on the person, animal or garden. The products themselves belong in goods classes: cosmetics in Class 3, medicines and supplements in Class 5.
Typical examples: Medical services, care, beauty salon, horticulture
New EUIPO registrations per year in Class 44
Most active applicants in Class 44
| # | Applicant | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gilead Sciences Ireland Uc | 467 |
| 2 | Novartis Ag | 399 |
| 3 | L'Oreal | 174 |
| 4 | Eli Lilly And Company | 164 |
| 5 | Essilor International | 163 |
| 6 | Kao Kabushiki Kaisha Also Trading As Kao Corporation | 161 |
| 7 | Miles-Bramwell Executive Services Ltd | 144 |
| 8 | Biofarma | 116 |
| 9 | Merck Kgaa | 116 |
| 10 | Johnson & Johnson | 115 |
Word mark or figurative mark?
Often combined with
Plan Class 44 as part of a set: in practice it is most often combined with Class 41 (courses, coaching, prevention), Class 35 (marketing, retail of your own products) and Class 42 (health software and platforms). A telemedicine startup covers the typical building blocks with 44, 42 and 35. Since 53 percent of trademarks in Class 44 are word marks, it pays to check early whether your name is distinctive enough for a word mark; descriptive health-related terms are often where filings stumble. And search the register first: Gilead Sciences and Novartis are two extremely active filers with large portfolios in this class.
Common mistakes with Class 44
The most common mistake in this class: protecting only the service and forgetting your own products. A beauty salon or hairdresser selling its own care line needs Class 3 alongside Class 44, otherwise the product on the shelf stays unprotected. Second mistake, especially among health startups: a telemedicine platform or health app does provide Class 44 services, but the software itself sits in Classes 9 and 42, and without them the product is only half protected. Third, mind the border with Class 41: fitness classes, nutrition coaching and prevention training often count as education or sporting activities under Class 41, not Class 44. If you offer both, check both classes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What belongs in Nice Class 44?
Class 44 covers medical and veterinary services plus hygienic and beauty care: doctors' practices, clinics, telemedicine, physiotherapy, nursing care, beauty salons and hairdressers. Garden design and landscaping officially belong here too. The products themselves sit in goods classes instead, cosmetics in Class 3 and medicines in Class 5, for example.
Why do pharma groups like Gilead lead this class?
According to EUIPO register data (as of July 2026), the top filers are Gilead Sciences with 467 and Novartis with 399 trademarks, ahead of L'Oréal (174), Eli Lilly (164) and Essilor (163). Pharma and beauty manufacturers protect the services around their products as well, such as patient programmes, medical information offerings or care and advice services.
Do hairdressers and beauty salons really belong in Class 44?
Yes. Hygienic and beauty care for humans is a core area of Class 44, covering hairdressers, beauty, massage and tattoo studios. One caveat: if you also sell your own products such as shampoo or creams under the brand, you need Class 3 for them; the services class alone is not enough.
Which classes are typically combined with Class 44?
Most often Class 41 for courses, coaching and prevention, Class 35 for marketing and retailing your own products, and Class 42 for software and platforms. A health startup with an app, online consultations and a shop covers the typical gaps with 44, 42 and 35.
Sources
EUIPO – European Union Intellectual Property Office: register data on EU trade marks and international registrations with EU protection, as of July 2026.
WIPO – Nice Classification: class definitions and headings (11th edition).
Methodology: own analysis by markencheck.ai; counted per filing entity, name variants merged.
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