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When you apply for a trademark in the Philippines, you don’t just protect your brand name or logo in general—you protect it in relation to specific goods or services. That’s why trademarks are divided into 45 classes under the Nice Classification system, which IPOPHL follows.
Choosing the right class is a big deal. If you file your mark under the wrong category, your protection won’t cover the actual products or services you’re offering. And if your business deals with items that fall into more than one class, you’ll need to file separate applications to be fully covered.
Class 4 mainly deals with fuels, oils, and lubricants. If your business is connected to products like these, this is likely where your mark belongs. To break it down, Class 4 includes:
Not every type of oil or grease is automatically part of Class 4. Some specialized or chemical-based oils might fall under other classes, so double-checking the details before filing is always a smart move.
Sometimes, a mark is connected to different but related goods or services. For Class 4, applicants may also want to look into:
One well-known dispute in the Philippines was Shell Philippines vs. Petron, which involved branding for fuels and lubricants. The case highlighted how crucial classification is. Both companies were in the same industry, but IPOPHL stressed that distinctiveness and proper filing under the correct class (Class 4) played a huge role in determining each company’s rights.
Filing under the correct class isn’t just a technicality—it protects your brand where it really counts. If you sell lubricants but accidentally file in the wrong class, competitors in the correct category could end up using a confusingly similar mark. Worse, IPOPHL might reject your application altogether during examination or opposition.
👉 In short: If your products involve oils, fuels, or lubricants, Class 4 is where you should file. But always double-check if your goods overlap with related classes to avoid gaps in protection.