Trademark Class 42: Scientific and technology services — What It Covers, With a Live Count
Short answer
Trademark class 42 covers scientific and technological services, research and design, software as a service, IT services, and industrial analysis. It is a services class, and as of September 14, 2026 it holds 178,490 live US marks, 3.7% of the register, ranking 6 of 45 by size. A registration in class 42 protects the name only for these services; the same name can be, and often is, registered by an unrelated business in another class.
Class 42 is a large class, with 178,490 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.
Class 42 is where software lives when it is delivered as a service rather than downloaded, which is most modern software. The 9-versus-42 question is the single most common class question on the register: hosted, browser-based, never installed is 42; downloaded and installed is 9; most companies need both and the USPTO coordinates the classes. AI services are 42. Design of any kind, from logos to buildings, is 42. With 178,000 live marks it is the sixth-largest class, and coined tech names have near matches here as a matter of course.
What files in class 42
| Typically in class 42 | Examples of businesses |
|---|---|
| software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service | SaaS companies |
| cloud computing, hosting, and data storage | cloud and infrastructure providers |
| web and app development | development agencies |
| IT consulting and cybersecurity | cybersecurity firms |
| AI and machine learning services | AI companies |
| scientific research and laboratory services | design studios |
| product and graphic design | architects and engineers |
| architecture and engineering | research labs |
| website design and UX | |
| data analytics services |
The USPTO's ID Manual lists the accepted descriptions for class 42. 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 42
| Looks like class 42, but is | Class |
|---|---|
| downloadable software and apps | 9 |
| selling software through an online store | 35 |
| financial services delivered through software | 36 |
| telecommunications transmission | 38 |
| online content and education | 41 |
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 42; the second class is a second filing fee, and a registration in one does not cover the other.
Coordinated classes
The USPTO searches class 42 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 42 application, and a class 42 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 42 is
| Live marks in class 42 | 178,490 |
| Share of the 45-class register | 3.7% |
| Rank by size | 6 of 45 |
| As of | September 14, 2026 |
A crowded class means more near matches to read through, and a higher chance that one of them is in your actual field. With this many live marks, a coined name of five or six letters will almost always have a neighbour somewhere in the class; the question is whether the goods overlap.
Before you file in class 42
- Confirm the services are actually class 42 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 42 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 42?
Class 42 is the Nice classification for scientific and technological services, research and design, software as a service, IT services, and industrial analysis. It is one of the 11 service classes (35–45), and it currently holds 178,490 live US marks.
What does class 42 cover?
Scientific and technological services, research and design, software as a service, IT services, and industrial analysis. 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 42?
$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 42 crowded?
It holds 178,490 live marks, 3.7% of the register, ranking 6 of 45. That is above average.
Can two businesses have the same name in class 42?
Not for similar services. 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 42?
9, 35, 36, 38, 41, 44, 45. The USPTO searches these together with class 42 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.