A Class 18 trademark in Nepal can cover leather and imitation leather, luggage, carrying bags, umbrellas, walking sticks, saddlery and specified animal accessories. It does not cover every product made from leather, and purpose-built cases can follow the class of the item they carry under the brand.
Key takeaways
- Class 18 covers leather materials, luggage and many general-purpose carrying bags.
- It also includes umbrellas, walking sticks, saddlery and clothing for animals.
- Leather clothing, footwear and headwear for people belong in Class 25.
- Cases adapted for laptops, cameras or instruments usually follow those products.
- Sec. 18A requires a separate Nepal application for each class.
- Search relevant and related classes before investing in stock or packaging.
- A registered trademark lasts seven years from registration and is renewable.
What does Trademark Class 18 cover?
The current Nice heading covers leather and imitations of leather; animal skins and hides; luggage and carrying bags; umbrellas and parasols; walking sticks; whips, harness and saddlery; and collars, leashes and clothing for animals.
The WIPO 2026 Class 18 publication provides the current heading and explanatory note. Nepal uses class-based filing under Sec. 18A of the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965. The class number is only the first filter: the detailed specification states which goods the application actually covers.
Which bags and luggage fall in Class 18?
General-purpose luggage and carrying bags are central to Class 18. WIPO examples include suitcases, trunks, travelling bags, infant sling bags, school bags, baggage tags, business-card cases and pocket wallets.
Handbags, backpacks, duffel bags, purses, briefcases and travel pouches can also fit when the current alphabetical list supports the wording. The specification should name the goods rather than use only the broad word “bags.”
Are leather materials themselves included?
Yes. Leather, imitation leather, animal skins and hides appear in the class heading. Certain boxes and cases of leather or leatherboard also fall within the class.
Not every object made from leather remains in Class 18. Nice Classification often follows function: leather belts for clothing belong in Class 25, leather strops in Class 8, and polishing or cleaning leather in Class 21.
Which animal goods belong in Class 18?
Whips, harness, saddlery, collars, leashes and clothing for animals are expressly in the heading. A pet-accessory brand may therefore use Class 18 for dog coats, collars or leads.
Animal food, grooming products, veterinary devices and pet-sitting services belong elsewhere. A business selling a full pet range should classify every product and service rather than treating Class 18 as a general pet class.
Are umbrellas and walking sticks included?
Hand-held umbrellas, parasols and ordinary walking sticks sit in Class 18. WIPO describes umbrellas and parasols as small portable goods protecting against weather conditions.
Function creates important exceptions. Patio umbrellas belong in Class 22, and walking sticks or canes for medical purposes belong in Class 10. The 2026 list also adds Nordic walking poles or sticks to Class 18.
What does Class 18 exclude?
The most common exclusions are human clothing and bags adapted to carry a particular product. These items follow their own product or purpose even if leather is used.
| Product | Starting class | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Handbag, wallet, suitcase | 18 | General carrying goods |
| Laptop or camera bag | 9 | Adapted to electronic equipment |
| Medical walking cane | 10 | Medical purpose |
| Musical instrument case | 15 | Adapted to an instrument |
| Leather jacket, shoe or belt | 25 | Human clothing or footwear |
| Golf, ski or surfboard bag | 28 | Adapted to sporting goods |
| Retail services for bags | 35 | Commercial service |
Use the Nice class finder and goods and services search, then confirm borderline wording against the current WIPO publication.
Does Class 18 cover leather clothing?
No. Clothing, footwear and headwear for human beings belong in Class 25 even when made from leather. A fashion brand selling handbags and jackets may need separate Classes 18 and 25 applications.
The split also applies to leather belts for clothing. Use the class-selection guide before assuming that one material creates one class.
Does Class 18 cover a bag shop?
Not by itself. Class 18 covers the physical goods specified in the application. Retail and wholesale services are generally analysed in Class 35.
A private-label retailer may need Class 18 for its own branded bags and Class 35 for the separately branded retail service. Class 35 does not replace the product class, and Class 18 does not automatically cover operating a marketplace.
Do smart suitcases remain in Class 18?
WIPO's explanatory material gives smart suitcases as an example of smart goods whose main function remains unchanged. The suitcase stays in Class 18 even though electronics add connected features.
Separate downloadable software, trackers or electronic components may still require Class 9 analysis. Classify each component or service offered under the mark rather than moving the whole product automatically.
Does synthetic material change the class?
Usually the finished product's identity matters more than whether the bag uses animal leather, imitation leather, textile or another material. A general carrying bag can remain in Class 18.
Marketing terms such as “vegan leather” do not create their own Nice class. Describe the actual goods accurately and avoid making material claims that the product evidence cannot support.
How should a Class 18 goods list be written?
Name the genuine products with useful precision: handbags, backpacks, travelling bags, pocket wallets, umbrellas or dog collars, for example. Avoid filing only “leather goods,” which can hide material and product distinctions.
Do not copy the full class heading when the business sells only one narrow line. A focused specification is easier to understand and connects the application to the actual commercial plan. It also lets searchers compare the proposed range with earlier records more accurately.
The goods-versus-services guide explains why a bag, a bag shop and a repair service should not be treated as one offering.
How do you search a Class 18 trademark?
Search the exact word or logo, spelling variants, sound-alikes, transliterations and similar meanings. Review Class 18 plus related fashion, retail and purpose-built-case classes where confusion could arise.
Start with the search-by-class tool, conflict checker and Nepal trademark database. That database covers marks published in Department Bulletins, not a complete live status register.
For a risk-based review before ordering stock, use the trademark search service. A blank exact search is evidence, not a guarantee of availability.
How is a Class 18 trademark filed in Nepal?
The Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965 supplies the national route. Sec. 16 connects title to registration, Sec. 17 governs the application and Sec. 18 governs Department registration and the certificate.
- Inventory the range. Separate general bags, adapted cases, apparel and services.
- Choose the classes. Prepare one Nepal application for each relevant class.
- Clear the sign. Search relevant and related goods before launch.
- Prepare the application. Finalise the owner, mark and goods specification.
- File and answer examination. Preserve the acknowledgment and response dates.
- Track publication. Save the exact Bulletin notice and opposition deadline.
- Verify registration. Check the certificate before claiming registered status.
The trademark registration service can review the application and class set.
What documents should be prepared?
Prepare the exact applicant identity, a clear final mark representation, the class-specific goods wording and current authority documents for that applicant type. Where an agent acts, confirm power of attorney requirements.
Individuals, domestic companies and foreign owners may not use identical checklists. Verify current signing, notarisation, corporate and priority-document practice with the Department of Industry.
A company-registration record from the Office of the Company Registrar is different from a trademark certificate. In Nepal's first-to-file environment, incorporation, domain ownership or an overseas registration does not replace a valid Department application.
What happens after filing?
The Department examines the application under the Act. If a qualifying application is published in the Industrial Property Bulletin, save the exact issue and follow the opposition period stated in its notice.
The Department's 8 July 2025 Bulletin allowed 90 days for objections to the listed trademark applications. That is the trademark opposition period, counted from Bulletin publication; the deadline the Department states prevails, so act before the last day. Sec. 21A(2)'s 35 days concern complaints about the particulars of marks already registered, not the opposition window.
No current official service standard guarantees one filing-to-certificate duration. Documents, examination, Bulletin scheduling and opposition can change the calendar.
How long does a Class 18 registration last?
Sec. 18D gives a registered trademark a seven-year term from registration. Sec. 23B permits further seven-year renewals without a fixed numerical limit.
The ordinary renewal deadline runs for 35 days after expiry, followed by the statutory late-renewal route. Use the renewal calculator and renewal service, then verify the certificate and Department record.
What does a multi-class example look like?
This is an illustration, not a real case. “Karnali Carry” sells handbags, laptop sleeves, leather jackets and operates its own online bag shop.
The team considers Class 18 for handbags, Class 9 for cases adapted to laptops, Class 25 for jackets and Class 35 for retail services. It searches the mark across those related areas and files separate applications.
The example shows why material and store category are not enough. Classification follows each product's function and each service offered under the mark.
Common mistakes
- Putting every leather product in Class 18.
- Filing adapted laptop, camera or instrument cases as general bags.
- Forgetting Class 25 for human leather clothing and footwear.
- Using “bags” as the entire specification without naming the actual range.
- Assuming Class 18 automatically covers the retail service.
- Searching only exact names inside one class.
- Promising a fixed registration time without an official standard.
In short
Class 18 covers leather materials, luggage, general carrying bags, portable umbrellas, walking sticks, saddlery and defined animal accessories. Function sends human apparel and purpose-built cases to other classes instead.
Map the actual product range, search related classes, write a precise specification and track the certificate and renewal term.
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For a Class 18 product and filing review, contact IP Sewa.
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