Patent Attorney and Founder
JD: Under what category does selling human hair wigs, pieces, and other essential products fall? I need to trademark my brand. I’ll be selling human hair, human hair pieces, human hair wigs, human hair extensions, synthetic blends, caps, hair glue, and chemicals that go with them in the beauty industry. What category does this fall into?
Matt: It’s class 26. I’ve filed many trademarks, and class 26 is the right category for these items. It covers textile-related goods, including human hair and synthetic hair products.
JD: If they’re selling these in a brick-and-mortar store, class 26 should suffice.
Matt: However, if the name of the wig or hair piece is the same as your store, you might consider filing a second application to protect the store name or your online store. That would fall under class 35, which covers things like consulting and business services.
Matt: For those interested, the United States recognizes 45 classes of goods and services, which are harmonized with much of the rest of the world under international treaties. There’s a database you can search called the USPTO Trademark ID Manual. You can free-form search for specific goods and services to get a better understanding of the classifications your products or services might fall into. It’s important to note that classifications are based on both functionality and material composition. So, a product could fall into one category based on its material and another based on its function.