Classification and reclassification for designs - guidelines superseded 25 October 2017

These guidelines were in place from February 2012 and were superseded 25 October 2017.

New Zealand Registered Designs and design applications are presently classified in accordance with the article or articles to which the design is applied using version 6 of the International Locarno Design Classification System, augmented by some subdivisions of some subclasses, designated alphabetically A, B etc.

We are updating and improving the design search and classification system and will now classify designs using the latest English language version of  Locarno, currently version 9, and all presently published designs including all registered designs will be reclassified according to this version of Locarno.

All pending and future applications will be classified down to at least subclass level. Moreover, a numerical third code level, which is an indication of the article or product of the design, in accordance with the “INDICATION OF GOODS” in the Locarno classification, will generally be recorded as in the examples 1 and 2 below. The digits of this third level code correspond simply to the numerical position of the indication of goods in the English subclass list and are independent of the “Serial No.” as published in the Locarno Classification.

The previous alphabetical subdivision of subclass indications A, B, C etc do not form part of the new classification.

Classification Examples:

1. A design applied to a lollipop will be classified as Class 1 (Foodstuffs), subclass 01 (BAKERS' PRODUCTS, BISCUITS, PASTRY, MACARONI AND OTHER CEREAL PRODUCTS, CHOCOLATES, CONFECTIONERY, ICES), and include the indication of goods 015 for “Lollipops” because “Lollipops” is the 15th entry in the English subclass list. In short: “01.01.015”.

2. A breadboard will be classified as Class 7 (HOUSEHOLD GOODS, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED), subclass 04 (APPLIANCES AND UTENSILS, HAND-MANIPULATED, FOR PREPARING FOOD OR DRINK), and include the indication of goods 004 for “Bread boards”. In short: “07.04.004”.

Class Criteria Searching:

• Website users will be able to search designs, to the selectable level of the classification.
• If the class criteria field is entered at only the class.subclass level the search will return all designs that have that class.subclass classification, with any indication of goods in that subclass.
  
  Example:
  
  For the breadboard used in classification Example 2 above, the design will be returned by a search for class 07.04.004 and will be returned in a search for class 07.04.