1401.10 General Summary of Major Changes in Practice Based on the 9th Edition of the Nice Agreement
The requirements of the 9th edition of the Nice Agreement apply to applications filed on or after January 1, 2007. For applications filed on or after the effective date of the 10th edition (i.e., January 1, 2012), any changes in practice brought about by the 10th edition supersede the 9th edition to the extent any inconsistency exists. See TMEP §§1401.11-1401.11(e) for the general summary of changes in practice based on the 10th edition of the Nice Agreement.
The most notable changes under the 9th edition are: the transfer of all legal services from Class 42 to Class 45; the determination that items made of precious metals should be classified according to their function rather than in Class 14 merely because they are made of precious metal; and the transfer of aquaria and related items from Class 16 to Class 21. These changes are discussed below.
1401.10(a) Legal Services Transferred to International Class 45
Effective January 1, 2007, legal services were transferred from Class 42 to Class 45. Class 42 is now generally limited to computer, scientific, technological, engineering, and design services.
In 2002, when the Nice Agreement was amended to add three new service classes, Class 42 was restructured, but legal services remained in Class 42. However, over the five-year revision period that led to the 9th edition, it became apparent that Class 42 was not the most appropriate class for these services. The ultimate decision to include these services in Class 45 was based on an item in the class heading for Class 45 - "security services for the protection of property and individuals." The Committee of Experts reasoned that legal services are an extension of the security services already in Class 45. Security services provide for the protection of property and individuals, and the enforcement of that security is in the hands of the legal profession.
1401.10(b) Goods Made of Precious Metal are Classified According to Their Function
Class 14 went through the most extensive revision of all of the classes in the 9th edition of the Nice Agreement. The Committee of Experts decided that items made of precious metal that were classified in other classes based on their function when not made of precious metal, should also be classified in those classes. Goods made of precious metal that are not classified by function, but rather by material composition, e.g., statues, figurines, and boxes, are still classified in Class 14. This decision eliminated much of the confusion in this class caused by some goods being listed in Class 14 when made of precious metal and in other classes when not made of precious metal, while other goods were classified according to function without reference to any particular material composition. For example, nutcrackers were classified in Class 14 when made of precious metal and in Class 8 when not made of precious metal. However, cutlery, namely forks, knives, and spoons were classified only in Class 8, even if made of precious metal, even though it is not uncommon for cutlery to be made of precious metal. The changes in the 9th edition were intended to eliminate this inconsistency.
1401.10(c) Transfer of Aquaria and Related Items
Indoor aquaria, its related accessory aquarium hoods, and indoor terrariums [vivariums] were previously classified in Class 16 because they were considered educational. This may have been true when they were first introduced into the Nice Agreement list, but that is a minimal or secondary use today. Most often, these goods are found in homes or offices as hobby or decorative items. They are traditionally made of glass so that the contents are visible. Therefore, they were transferred to Class 21, the main class for other glass items. Other aquarium items with specific uses or functions remain in their 8th edition classes. These items include aerating pumps for aquaria in Class 7, aquarium gravel and sand in Class 19, and aquarium lights, heaters, and filtering apparatus in Class 11. However, large public aquaria that are, in fact, structures are classified in Class 19, since they are made primarily from nonmetallic materials. The aquaria transferred from Class 16 to Class 21 are those that may be found in homes or offices and would not be considered structures in the nature of a building.