📢 Nice Class 35: Advertising, Retail & E-Commerce
With 691,848 trademarks, Class 35 is the second-largest class in the EUIPO register and a must for almost every online retail business (as of July 2026).
691,848
Marks in the EU register
402,810
Registered with the EUIPO
+20 %
Growth 2020–2024
48 %
Word mark share
Class 35 covers services related to advertising, business management, business administration and office functions, and above all retail and e-commerce. If you bring together goods and sell them to others, whether in a physical store, on Amazon or through your own online shop, you will usually need this class. The EUIPO register lists 691,848 trademarks with Class 35, of which 402,810 are currently registered. Only one class is larger (source: EUIPO register data, July 2026). Demand keeps growing: 33,169 new EU trademarks with Class 35 were registered in 2020, rising to 39,914 in 2024 and 39,397 in 2025, an increase of around 20 percent compared to 2020. The e-commerce boom is a visible driver of this trend. The most active filers include Deutsche Telekom (1,113 marks), Intesa Sanpaolo (600), Volkswagen (598), Amazon (536) and El Corte Inglés (400). The fact that countless small shops file here alongside large corporations makes Class 35 arguably the most universal services class of all.
What belongs in Class 35?
Class 35 covers services you provide to other businesses or consumers in the fields of advertising, commerce and administration. At its core: advertising and marketing for third parties, retail and wholesale services (both in-store and online), business consultancy and management, and classic office functions. Typical examples include running an online shop or marketplace, advertising agency services, social media and influencer marketing, SEO services, recruitment and staffing, accounting, and organising trade fairs for commercial purposes. Important: Class 35 protects the retail service, not the goods being sold. A sneaker shop files Class 35 for the retail activity, while the shoes themselves belong in Class 25.
Typical examples: Advertising, marketing, online retail/store, office functions
New EUIPO registrations per year in Class 35
Most active applicants in Class 35
| # | Applicant | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deutsche Telekom Ag | 1,113 |
| 2 | Intesa Sanpaolo Spa | 600 |
| 3 | Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft | 598 |
| 4 | Amazon Technologies Inc | 536 |
| 5 | El Corte Ingles Sa | 400 |
| 6 | International Business Machines Corporation | 349 |
| 7 | Abercrombie & Fitch Europe Sagl | 329 |
| 8 | Mastercard International Incorporated | 272 |
| 9 | Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Sa | 235 |
| 10 | Apple Inc | 234 |
Word mark or figurative mark?
Often combined with
Draft your list of services precisely: instead of just "advertising", use "retail services relating to clothing" or "online marketing for third parties". Search Class 35 carefully before filing, because with 402,810 registered marks the risk of conflicts is particularly high here. 48 percent of the marks in this class are pure word marks, so a word mark search is the most important first step. Also think in combinations: Class 35 is most frequently filed together with Class 42 (software, SaaS, IT), Class 9 (apps, downloadable software) and Class 41 (training, events). For an e-commerce startup with its own platform, the trio of 35, 9 and 42 is usually the best fit.
Common mistakes with Class 35
The most common mistake: shop owners file only the goods classes and forget the retail service in Class 35, or the other way around, they file only Class 35 without covering their own products. Both leave gaps in protection, because selling goods and providing a retail service are legally two different things. The second classic: filing for "advertising" even though the company only promotes itself. Class 35 covers advertising as a service for third parties. Self-promotion is not a protectable service and can make your mark vulnerable later, once you have to prove genuine use. A third error is copying the entire class heading instead of describing specifically what you actually trade in. Overly broad specifications increase the collision risk during clearance searches and the risk of later revocation for non-use.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Class 35 for my online shop?
In most cases, yes. Class 35 protects the retail and e-commerce service, meaning the bringing together and offering of goods for customers. You should additionally file the classes of the goods you sell, because Class 35 does not cover the products themselves.
How large is Class 35 in the EU trademark register?
With 691,848 trademarks, Class 35 is the second-largest Nice class in the EUIPO register, 402,810 of which are registered (as of July 2026). New registrations grew from 33,169 in 2020 to 39,397 in 2025, an increase of around 20 percent.
Does Class 35 cover advertising for my own company?
No. Class 35 covers advertising as a service for third parties, such as agencies or marketing providers. Promoting your own products is not an advertising service. Instead, file in the classes that cover the goods or services you actually offer.
Which classes are typically combined with Class 35?
Class 35 is most often combined with Class 42 (software development, SaaS, IT services), Class 9 (apps and downloadable software) and Class 41 (training, events, entertainment). The right combination depends on your business model, for example whether you operate your own platform.
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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