China's National Intellectual Property Administration has released updated versions of both the International Patent Classification system and the Nice Classification for trademark registration, introducing over 1,600 revised classification codes. These changes will affect how patent and trademark applications are processed starting January 1, 2026, with new classification tables and definitions now available through official CNIPA channels.
ChinaIntellectual Property
Starting from January 1, 2026, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has started using the new versions of the International Patent Classification (IPC) and the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Registration of Trademarks (Nice Classification).
Compared with the old version (2025.01 version), the new version of IPC (2026.01 version) has revised a total of 1,615 classification codes, including 517 new codes and deleting 206 old codes. The CNIPA has translated and compiled relevant materials for the new IPC, including the IPC classification table, classification definitions, and comparison tables between the new and old versions. The public can access via official website https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/col/col3161/index.html.
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