Trademark Class 16: Paper Goods, Books & Stationery

If you make or sell notebooks, diaries, books, pens or greeting cards under your own brand, trademark class 16 is the one you need. Cardboard boxes and paper bags fall here too.

Under the Nice Classification, class 16 of trademark takes in paper and cardboard, printed matter, bookbinding material, photographs, stationery, artists’ materials, office supplies (no furniture), teaching materials, and plastic packaging that does the job of paper. India follows the same 45-class system under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. So whatever sits in Class 16 internationally sits there at our registry as well.

Money first, since everyone asks. The government fee is Rs 4,500 per class if you e-file as an individual, startup or small enterprise, and Rs 9,000 for everyone else. That’s only the official fee, though. This piece on what the whole process actually costs covers the rest.

What products come under Trademark Class 16?

Basically anything physical that is made of paper or used on paper.

Plastic packaging catches people out. Plastic films, sheets and bags that do the work of paper wrapping are listed in Class 16 as well. So a polybag isn’t automatically a Class 21 product, whatever you may have heard.

The table is a summary only. You can search the full goods list below.

Confused about one odd product? Try the trademark class search tool. It takes a few seconds.

What is not covered in Class 16?

The digital and service side of the same business goes somewhere else.

Lots of stationery brands end up filing in two or three classes. Say you publish printed books and also have a reading app. The books go in 16, and the app is a question of Class 9 for software and electronics. Every class carries its own fee, so keep that in mind.

Still stuck on where something goes? We’ve written a proper guide on how to choose the right trademark class.

Which other classes go with Class 16?

Depends on what else the business does. These are the usual setups.

Don’t file in every class “just to be safe”. The cost adds up, and a class you’ll never use protects nothing. Go for what you sell now, or what you’ll realistically sell in a year or two.

What can you trademark in Class 16?

The brand name, obviously. Beyond that:

• Sub-brands, like a premium notebook range

• Your logo or a distinctive design

• A tagline

• The company name, if that’s what you trade under

Book titles are trickier. A series name or a publishing house name is usually easier to protect than the title of one book. Check with a consultant before you file for a single title.

A real example: ITC’s Classmate

ITC’s CLASSMATE word mark is registered in Class 16 (No. 1846290, dated 31 July 2009) for notebooks, pencils, copier paper and writing instruments. In May 2026, the Madras High Court gave ITC an interim injunction against a notebook seller using the name “Classman”. The court saw a prima facie case of deceptive similarity. It’s an interim order, so the case is still going on.

Names that come close get challenged in this trade. A registered mark in your hand makes that fight a lot easier.

How to register a trademark in Class 16

1. Search first. Look for similar names in Class 16 and the classes next to it. Here’s how to check whether a name is already registered.

2. File Form TM-A for each class you need, and be specific about the goods. “Notebooks, diaries and writing pads” works better than just “stationery”.

3. Examination. If the registry raises an objection, you get one month to answer. A well-drafted reply to the examination report counts for a lot here.

4. Journal publication. Your mark gets published, and anyone can oppose it within four months.

5. Registration and renewal. Registration lasts ten years. Renewal is on Form TM-R at Rs 9,000 per class online, and you can renew the mark online before it lapses.

Timelines move around. Plan for roughly 12 to 18 months if nobody opposes, longer if there’s an objection or an opposition. Some sites promise less. A lot depends on how busy the registry is.

Mistakes we see with Class 16 filings

• Filing only in Class 16 when the brand also sells online or runs a store

• Writing just “stationery” in the goods description

• Skipping the search because the name “feels unique”

• Putting plastic packaging in the wrong class

If you want a second pair of eyes on your class mix and goods description before filing, you can start your trademark application online with LegalWiz.