Luxury Beyond Categories: Trademark Strategy In The Wellness Era

The Nice Classification framework still anchors trademark registration and enforcement, yet the luxury market no longer abides by rigid interpretations of what goods and services should be on offer. A trademark once associated exclusively with fashion or fragrance may now extend into wellbeing without appearing inconsistent to the public. This sector-wide change affects how portfolios are built and how similarity is assessed.

However, just as the legal side of Intellectual Property (IP) is not infinitely plastic, neither are brand congruity and cohesion. The marks associated with luxury can only diversify their use in trade so far before a commercial identity begins to fray at the edges and split at the seams. Overextension has a potential to dilute distinctiveness from within, comparable to that of unchecked dupes from without.