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Vienna Classification of Figurative Elements (10th edition, VCL 10)

The Vienna Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks is an international standard established and maintained by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for coding and classifying the figurative elements of trademarks. Since the Vienna Agreement was signed in 1973, it has been widely used by trademark offices for searching, comparing and examining figurative marks.

The Vienna Classification groups figurative elements by shape, composition and subject into a three-level hierarchy of categories, divisions and sections; for example, “1.1.1” stands for “stars”. Auxiliary sections marked “A” allow further subdivision. This structured coding lets examiners, attorneys and applicants describe and search animals, plants, geometric shapes, human figures, objects and abstract designs in marks under uniform rules.

Data version: Vienna Classification, 10th edition (VCL 10, in force since 1 January 2026). English terms are taken from WIPO; Chinese terms are J&C reference translations. Codes prefixed with "A" are auxiliary sections. Spanish terms are J&C reference translations; missing translations were added on 13 October 2026.

Countries where earlier marks are searched by figurative elements: Trademark registration in Brazil · Trademark registration in Iran

1 Celestial bodies, natural phenomena, geographical maps

Note: Including stars which indicate military rank.

Note: Not including sparks (1.15.7), star-shaped throwing weapons such as ninja stars (23.1.25), the Star of David (24.11.15) and asterisks (24.17.3).

Note: Representations of the sun consisting solely of a disk without rays, should be placed in the appropriate sections of both division 1.3 and division 26.1.

Note: Including representations of the moon with star(s).

Note: Not including sets of lines evoking sound or electromagnetic waves (A 26.11.22).

Note: Not including maps of the world in two hemispheres (1.5.1).

2 Human beings

Note: Not including adolescents, classified in divisions 2.1, 2.3 or 2.7.

Note: A mixed group means a group of men, women and/or children. A group composed of men, of women or of children will be placed in the appropriate sections of divisions 2.1, 2.3 or 2.5.

Note: However, any group, whatever its composition, which gives the impression of a scene will be placed in the appropriate sections of division 2.7.

14 Ironmongery, tools, ladders

Note: Including representations of non-metallic ironmongery articles.

Note: Including handles.

Note: Not including agricultural or horticultural implements classified in division 14.9.

15 Machinery, motors, engines

Note: Not including machines for household use and spinning wheels (15.3) or office machines (15.5).

Note: Not including fax machines, printers, scanners, photocopiers (A 16.1.12).

Note: Not including electric lamps and wireless valves (13.1.6) or electric cables (14.1.5).

25 Ornamental motifs, surfaces or backgrounds with ornaments

Note: Not including ornamental motifs composed of plants, which are classified in division 5.13, or horizontally elongated ornamental surfaces, which are classified in division 25.3.

Note: Not including elongated elliptical surfaces, which are classified in division 26.1, elongated triangular surfaces, which are classified in division 26.3, or elongated quadrilateral surfaces, which are classified in division 26.4.

Note: Includes backgrounds divided into two or four by lines or bands or by areas of different appearance.

27 Forms of writing, numerals

Note: Includes both a single letter or a single numeral and a group of letters or a group of numerals.

Note: Includes also punctuation marks representing a human being, an animal, a plant, a heavenly body, a natural phenomenon or an object.

Note: Includes both a single letter, a single numeral or a single punctuation mark and a group of letters, a group of numerals or a group of punctuation marks representing a human being, an animal, a plant, a heavenly body, a natural phenomenon or an object.

Note: Includes both one or more letters and a series of letters forming a word.