Why the same name can be free and blocked at once
“Delta” is an airline, a faucet maker and a dental plan. They coexist because each registered the name for different goods and services. A trademark search that ignores classes returns hundreds of scary matches and tells you nothing. A search that uses classes tells you which matches sit on top of what you sell.
TM Atlas weights every match by class: same goods, full weight; related goods, partial; unrelated, low. The reasons list says which.
The classes sellers actually meet
| Class | What is in it | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Clothing, footwear, headwear | Merch, apparel, Etsy fashion |
| 14 | Jewelry, watches | Etsy jewelry |
| 16 | Paper, books, planners, stickers, stationery | KDP, low-content books, printables |
| 9 | Electronics, software, ebooks, audiobooks, phone cases | KDP ebooks, accessories |
| 21 | Housewares, mugs, tumblers, drinkware | Merch mugs, kitchen |
| 18 | Bags, wallets, leather goods | Totes, backpacks |
| 20 | Furniture, décor, frames, cushions | Home décor |
| 28 | Toys, games, sporting goods | Toys, puzzles, fitness |
| 3 | Cosmetics, soap, candles* | Beauty (candles are class 4) |
| 5 | Supplements, vitamins | Health |
| 41 | Education, entertainment, publishing | Courses, podcasts, book series as a service |
| 35 | Retail and online store services | Your shop name itself |
Picking classes for a scan
The scan defaults by marketplace — KDP to 16, 9, 41; Merch to 25, 24, 18, 21; Etsy to 25, 14, 20, 21, 16 — because most sellers do not know their class and should not have to. Change them when you sell something else, and the score sharpens.
The famous-mark exception
Classes limit ordinary marks. Famous ones — the global consumer brands — are protected across classes in most countries, because using them on anything trades on their reputation. When a famous mark appears in your results, class does not save you. That is one of the cases where an attorney is worth the call.
Check a listing with the right classes · What LOW, REVIEW and HIGH REVIEW mean