The State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) participated from April 27 to May 2, 2025, in the thirty-fifth session of the Committee of Experts of the Nice Union (CLIM/CE/35 Committee), held in Geneva, Switzerland. The purpose of the session was to examine and update the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks, in accordance with current trends and requirements.
Representatives from the Member States of the Union, international governmental and non-governmental organizations participated in the work of the CLIM/CE/35 Committee. The session was opened by Kenichiro Natsume (WIPO) with a welcoming speech, and the Committee was moderated by Laura Russo (Australia), the Chair elected during this session. The Republic of Moldova was represented by Victoria Pulbere, Deputy Head of the Trademarks and Industrial Design Department of AGEPI.
According to the agenda, for five days, the proposals submitted to the EC35 session, new terms, including amendments and transfers of existing ones, were examined. By March 23, 2025, the Member States analyzed and voted on the proposals submitted to the EC35 session. Terms without majority support were subject to additional debates during this official meeting, and with a final vote it was decided on the inclusion or exclusion of each term.
Also, multiple proposals were analyzed and discussed that provide for changes to the summaries of the classes of goods and services, including the entry into force of the 13th edition. The full agenda of the session can be found at https://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/classifications/en/clim_ce_35/clim_ce_35_1_prov_2.pdf.
A separate topic was the discussion concerning the complexity of Class 9, called the “mega-class”. INTA presented a statement concerning this class of goods and solutions for its management, such as the reassignment of goods to other existing classes or the creation of new classes for a more uniform distribution, including one of the proposals being the subdivision of Class 9.
The changes adopted during the session will have an impact on the field, supporting its development and adaptation to contemporary trends. All changes accepted during the CE35 session including the new edition will enter into force on 1 January 2026 (NCL13-2026).
