Mycat Inc. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo) announced the addition of a trademark class (category) selection guide function to its AI trademark search and application support service 'Trademark Navi' (https://shohyo.xyz).

### Importance of 'Class Selection' in Trademark Applications When applying for a trademark, it is necessary to specify a 'class' according to the type of goods or services. Classes are divided into 45 categories, from Class 1 to Class 45, consisting of classes for goods (Classes 1-34) and classes for services (Classes 35-45).

According to statistics from the Japan Patent Office, the number of trademark applications reaches 158,000 annually (Source: Japan Patent Office Annual Report on Patent Administration). Among these, there are cases where the scope of rights is insufficient due to inappropriate class selection, or where application costs increase due to the inclusion of unnecessary classes.

### Reasons Why Class Selection is Difficult The difficulty in class selection is mainly due to the following three points:

**1. The correspondence between business content and classes is not intuitive.** For example, if you operate a restaurant, providing meals falls under Class 43 (provision of food and drink), but selling takeout products may fall under Class 30 (foodstuffs) or Class 29 (processed foods). It is not uncommon for a single business to span multiple classes.

**2. Selection must consider future business development.** It is necessary to select classes not only based on current business content but also considering future business plans. Adding classes later requires a new application, incurring additional costs.

**3. Understanding of similar group codes is required.** Goods and services within each class are assigned 'similar group codes.' If another party's trademark with the same similar group code is already registered, the application may be rejected.

### Overview of the New Function The trademark class selection guide function is a feature where AI recommends appropriate filing classes simply by inputting business content in natural language.

**Input** "I run a cafe. I also sell original blend coffee beans online. In the future, I want to open a coffee class."

**Output**

* Class 43 (Provision of food and drink): Cafe operation * Class 30 (Coffee): Sale of coffee beans * Class 41 (Education/Training): Holding coffee classes * Estimated application fees for each class * Determination of priority (required, recommended, optional)

By extracting necessary classes based on business content without omission and presenting them with priority, the function supports appropriate class selection.

Those considering trademark applications are encouraged to try the class selection guide function of Trademark Navi.

*This service is not an agency application based on the Patent Attorney Act. Please consult with a patent attorney or other expert for specific application procedures.

Company Profile Company Name: Mycat Inc. Established: February 5, 2025 Location: 2-7-22 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Business Activities: Planning, development, and operation of AI-powered services for SMEs and individuals. Corporate Website: https://mycat.business Contact: [email protected]

Keywords: AI, Trademark, Trademark Registration, Intellectual Property, Startup, Trademark Application, Trademark Class

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