The China 2026 Edition of the Trademark Classification Table, i.e., the "Similar Goods and Services Classification Table" (based on the 13th Edition of the Nice Classification, 2026 Text), was officially put into use on January 1, 2026. Among the changes that should attract the attention of the AI industry is the addition of the "Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) 420315" service item in Class 42. This adjustment marks the formal inclusion of AIaaS services into the standardized trademark protection system.
The newly added "Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) 420315" service item is an important measure taken by the China National Intellectual Property Administration to conform to the development trend of the AI industry and regulate the market order of the industry. Prior to this, due to the lack of a clear and exclusive trademark classification, most Chinese AI enterprises could only classify related services under similar items such as "Software as a Service (SaaS)" and "Information Technology Consultation." This led to a vague scope of trademark protection, making it difficult to precisely cover the core scenarios of AIaaS services. It not only made trademark infringement disputes more likely to occur but could also result in the rejection of trademark applications due to improper classification, thus failing to provide effective trademark protection.
In China, trademark registration follows the "first-to-file" principle, and it generally takes about six to seven months from application to the granting of the certificate. Therefore, it is recommended that enterprises plan accordingly in a timely manner to avoid passivity regarding their trademark brands. Here, PUYIZHICHAN especially reminds various AI enterprises to attach great importance to this adjustment in trademark classification and to promptly carry out self-inspection and improvement of trademark registration based on their actual business conditions.
Specific implementation suggestions:
For AI enterprises that have not yet registered trademarks in Class 42, PUYIZHICHAN recommends prioritizing the application for the "Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) 420315" item to ensure the protection of core services.
For enterprises that have already registered related trademarks in Class 42 but do not include AIaaS, PUYI IP suggests submitting a supplementary registration application for the "Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) 420315" service item as soon as possible.
Given the diversity of AI services, PUYI IP recommends that enterprises, based on their own business operations, simultaneously plan for related categories such as Class 9 (software), Class 35 (advertising), and other related classes, to build a comprehensive trademark protection system and prevent cross-category infringement risks.
Finally, PUYIZHICHAN emphatically reminds enterprises that during the registration process, attention must be paid to the distinctiveness of the trademark. It is essential to create original brands with unique characteristics and avoid using generic technical terms like "smart" or "algorithm." At the same time, conduct a comprehensive search before registration to reduce the risk of rejection.
Tips：
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