Registering a trademark with the United State Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a great way to protect your business.
If you're thinking about registering a mark, you will need to do some research on basic trademark information.
You will also need to learn about the different international trademark classes and figure which one best fits your business needs.
This article will cover the basics of Trademark Class 27, which protects various forms of floor coverings such as rugs, mats, and carpets.
Why Should I Have a Registered Trademark?
Trademarks give businesses a legal claim over a particular name, logo, or other form of branding.
By registering your trademark, you effectively put the world on notice that you're claiming a particular mark.
A registered trademark uses the ® symbol. A registered trademark holder has gone through an application process and is maintained with the USPTO.
When you register a mark with the USPTO, you gain protections outside of your original jurisdiction and protection from infringement in e-commerce.
You also gain the ability to take legal action in state and federal court against infringing parties.
Registering a Class 27 Trademark
When you register a trademark, the application will ask you for the international trademark class that best fits the good or service you sell.
Sometimes you will need to register for more than one class to properly protect your business.
Registered trademarks gain legal protections against infringement from businesses in the same industry.
These industries roughly correlate to the 45 international trademark classes, of which Class 27 is a part.
For this reason, even if you register your mark under Class 27, a business in a different class could still use that name or logo as long as their usage doesn't create a likelihood of confusion.
This is why you can have two businesses with the same name in two different industries, since they operate in totally different spaces and thus have registered under separate trademark classes.
What is a Class 27 Trademark?
Trademark Class 27 is primarily for different types of floor coverings.
A good way to determine your product belongs in Class 27 is asking yourself if it is used to cover another flooring surface.
For example, linoleum, though a flooring surface like hardwoods, is usually used to cover a preexisting flooring surface.
Carpets, Rugs, and Mats
As the obvious example, Trademark Class 27 generally covers all forms of carpets, rugs, and mats you'd place on the floor in your house.
Bath mats, carpet underlay, no-slip mats, doormats, and other similar products are a few additional examples of products covered by this class.
Flooring
In addition to floor coverings, a few flooring types are also included in Class 27.
Generally, these products are used to cover existing services for a variety of reasons, such as linoleum or fire resistant floor coverings.
Outdoor or Athletic Flooring
Another common product that can be found in this class is outdoor flooring.
Artificial turf, gymnasium mats, yoga mats, and other similar products all make an appearance in this class.
Hardwood Flooring: The Odd One Out
The most notable exclusion from Class 27 is hardwood flooring.
Even if it's placed over an existing floor, hardwood flooring generally falls under Class 19 instead since it counts as a "building material."
Conclusion
International trademark class 27 is a fairly narrow category of goods that covers most types of floor coverings, carpets, rugs, and mats.
Registering a trademark is a great way to protect your expanding business.
If you think registering is the right step for you but you have additional questions or need help with the application process, an attorney can help you.
