Trademark Class 15: Musical instruments — What It Covers, With a Live Count
Short answer
Trademark class 15 covers musical instruments, their parts and accessories, and music stands and cases. It is a goods class, and as of September 14, 2026 it holds 12,676 live US marks, 0.3% of the register, ranking 45 of 45 by size. A registration in class 15 protects the name only for these goods; the same name can be, and often is, registered by an unrelated business in another class.
Class 15 is a small class, with 12,676 live marks out of 4,796,936 across all 45 classes. A live mark is one that is registered or pending; the count is computed from USPTO bulk data by each mark's primary class and refreshed daily.
The instrument is 15; anything that plugs into a wall to process its sound is usually 9. A synthesizer is 15; an audio interface, a DAW, and a guitar amplifier are 9. Sheet music is 16 in print and 9 as a download.
What files in class 15
| Typically in class 15 | Examples of businesses |
|---|---|
| guitars, pianos, drums, and other instruments | instrument makers |
| electronic instruments and synthesizers | music accessory brands |
| instrument strings, reeds, and picks | synthesizer companies |
| music stands and instrument cases | |
| metronomes and tuning forks |
The USPTO's ID Manual lists the accepted descriptions for class 15. Choosing one of them keeps the filing fee at $350 per class; a custom description costs $550. See what a trademark costs.
What is not in class 15
| Looks like class 15, but is | Class |
|---|---|
| amplifiers, audio interfaces, and music software | 9 |
| music lessons and performance | 41 |
| sheet music | 16 |
| music streaming and downloads | 9 |
The class follows the product, not the industry. A business in this field will often need one of the classes above as well as class 15; the second class is a second filing fee, and a registration in one does not cover the other.
Coordinated classes
The USPTO searches class 15 together with these classes when it examines an application, because confusion between them is common. A live mark in a coordinated class can block a class 15 application, and a class 15 mark can block one of these.
A near match in a coordinated class is worth reading closely. A near match anywhere else on the register is usually not. See is my name trademarked for how to read one.
How crowded class 15 is
| Live marks in class 15 | 12,676 |
| Share of the 45-class register | 0.3% |
| Rank by size | 45 of 45 |
| As of | September 14, 2026 |
A smaller class means fewer near matches, and a name that is clear here tends to stay clear. It is still worth searching the coordinated classes, since that is where a conflict for a class 15 mark most often comes from.
Before you file in class 15
- Confirm the goods are actually class 15 against the USPTO ID Manual, not against the industry the business is in.
- Check the neighbouring classes in the table above for anything the business also sells or does.
- Search the name on Silvol and read every live match by class: class 15 and its coordinated classes matter; others usually do not.
- Budget per class. Each class is $350 to file and $650 every ten years to maintain.
Common questions
What is trademark class 15?
Class 15 is the Nice classification for musical instruments, their parts and accessories, and music stands and cases. It is one of the 34 goods classes (1–34), and it currently holds 12,676 live US marks.
What does class 15 cover?
Musical instruments, their parts and accessories, and music stands and cases. The USPTO's ID Manual has the full list of accepted descriptions; the examples above are the common ones.
How much does it cost to trademark in class 15?
$350 in USPTO fees for a clean electronic application using an ID Manual description, $550 with a custom description, plus $650 per class every ten years to maintain. Attorney fees, if any, are on top.
Is class 15 crowded?
It holds 12,676 live marks, 0.3% of the register, ranking 45 of 45. That is one of the smaller classes.
Can two businesses have the same name in class 15?
Not for similar goods. Two marks in the same class for overlapping goods or services will conflict. The same name in an unrelated class usually will not.
What are the coordinated classes for class 15?
9, 28, 41. The USPTO searches these together with class 15 because confusion across them is common.
Keep reading
- All 45 trademark classes, with live counts
- Is my name trademarked? How to read a match by class
- How much does a trademark cost, per class
Silvol checks a name against live US federal trademarks and the .com zone. It is not a law firm, does not clear names for use, and does not cover state registrations or unregistered marks. Class counts are computed from USPTO bulk data by primary class and refreshed daily.
Register counts as of September 14, 2026. Silvol is not a law firm and does not clear names for use.