Publication of Japan-China-Korea Concordance List of Similar Group Codes (Corresponding to Nice Classification 13th edition, version 2026 (NCL13-2026))

March 2026
Trademark Division

The Japan Patent Office (JPO), the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), and the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea are working on a cooperative project to compile a concordance list that indicates the corresponding relationships among the respective similar group codes used for trademark examination at the JPO, the CNIPA, and the MOIP, based on a trilateral agreement signed by the three offices.

Similar group codes are the codes assigned to goods and services that are presumed to be similar to each other in trademark examination. The project aims to improve the predictability of examination results by encouraging users who file trademark applications with the JPO, the CNIPA, or the MOIP to utilize the concordance list when searching for prior trademarks.

As a result of the JPO-CNIPA-MOIP cooperation, the JPO is pleased to publish the Japan-China-Korea Concordance List of Similar Group Codes corresponding to the Nice Classification, 13th edition, version 2026 (NCL(13-2026)), which came into effect on January 1, 2026.

The JPO, the CNIPA, and the MOIP will continue to advance this project to further improve user convenience.

Published materials

Japan-China-Korea Concordance List of Similar Group Codes (Corresponding to Nice Classification, 13th edition, version 2026 (NCL13-2026)) (Excel:1,236KB)

Meanings of Items in the Concordance Lists

• Class:
  Class to which goods or services belong
• Basic No:
  A unique six-digit identification number assigned to goods and services in the Nice Classification
• EN - Goods and Services NCL(13-2026):
  Indications of goods and services in English listed in NCL(13-2026)
• Acceptable or not by the JPO:
  ○ = Indications of goods and services acceptable by the JPO
  × = Indications of goods and services not acceptable by the JPO
• Japanese Translation:
  Translations in Japanese for goods and services corresponding to NCL(13-2026)
• JPO's similar group code:
  Similar group codes assigned to goods and services by the JPO
• Acceptable or not by the MOIP:
  ○ = Indications of goods and services acceptable by the MOIP
  × = Indications of goods and services not acceptable by the MOIP
• Korean Translation:
  Translations in Korean for goods and services corresponding to NCL(13-2026)
• MOIP's similar group code:
  Similar group codes assigned to goods and services by the MOIP
• Acceptable or not by the CNIPA:
  ○ = Indications of goods and services acceptable by the CNIPA
  × = Indications of goods and services not acceptable by the CNIPA
• Chinese Translation:
  Translations in Chinese for goods and services corresponding to NCL(13-2026)
• CNIPA's similar group code:
  Similar group codes assigned to goods and services by the CNIPA

Reference : “Similar Group Code” used at the JPO.

[Last updated 30 March 2026]

Contact

Japan Patent Office Trademark Division E-mail: PA1T90@jpo.go.jp