# Which Trademark Class Does E-Commerce Fall Into?

> Which class does e-commerce fall into? A class map for own-brand sellers, resellers and marketplace operators, and why class 35 alone is not enough.

- Canonical: https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trademark-class-for-e-commerce
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-08-20
- Publisher: Webx Marka Patent ve Fikri Sınai Haklar Danışmanlık A.Ş. (https://www.webx.net.tr/)

_Machine-readable copy of the page above. The canonical HTML page is authoritative; fees and regulations may change — check the last-updated date._

---

In e-commerce the trademark class is determined by **how you sell, not what you sell**. Three basic models and their counterparts:

- **Selling goods under your own brand:** the goods class *+* class 35
- **Selling other people's goods:** class 35
- **Operating a marketplace or platform:** 35 *+* 42

The most common mistake is to say "I already have class 35" and skip the goods class. Class 35 protects the *retail service*, not use of the mark on the goods sold.

## Class Map by Model

| Business model | Classes required | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Own-design goods made to order (private label) | Goods class + 35 | Product and sale are protected separately |
| Multi-brand store / reseller | 35 | The goods carry someone else's brand |
| Dropshipping (unlabelled) | 35 | Intermediation in sales |
| Dropshipping (own label) | Goods class + 35 | The product carries your brand |
| Marketplace platform | 35 + 42 | Intermediation service + software platform |
| Subscription box | Goods class + 35 | Box contents and the retail service |
| Digital products (courses, e-books) | 41 (+9 if downloadable) | Content service / digital product |

To find your goods class, look at what you actually sell: clothing 25, cosmetics 3, food 29 or 30, home textiles 24, furniture 20, jewellery 14, toys 28. The full list is in [All 45 Trademark Classes](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/45-nice-classification-classes-full-list).

## What Class 35 Protects — and What It Does Not

Class 35 covers advertising, business management and **the bringing together of goods for sale**. It protects store services, retailing and the operation of an e-commerce business.

What it does not protect is **use of the mark on the goods**. An example:

> You have T-shirts made under your own brand and sell them through your website. You took only a class 35 registration. Someone else registered the same name in class 25 (clothing). That person may now produce T-shirts bearing the name and assert it against you — your registration protects your store service, not the label on the product.

For any business selling own-branded goods, the goods class therefore takes priority over class 35.

The sub-group structure of class 35, how to draft its scope and the mistakes most often made are covered in [Class 35: Retail and Store Services](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/class-35-trademark-registration-retail-services).

## The 2026 Change: Drafting Scope in Class 35

Under TÜRKPATENT Communiqué 2026/2 of 26 February 2026, when retail and wholesale services are described in class 35, only **goods groups** may be listed; service groups cannot be shown within that scope.

In practice this means that instead of vague formulations such as "the sale of all kinds of goods", the goods groups you actually sell must be stated clearly. Since scope cannot be added later, drafting it too narrowly is also a risk — plan your product range realistically.

## If You Sell on Marketplaces

The brand protection programmes of platforms such as Trendyol, Hepsiburada and Amazon may require your mark to be registered or applied for **in the class of the goods you sell**. A class 35 registration alone may not be accepted in some programmes.

That gives a commercial reason for bringing the goods class within scope, alongside the legal one. Platform requirements are covered in [Trademarks on Turkish Marketplaces](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trademark-registration-for-turkish-marketplaces) and [Amazon Brand Registry](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trademark-registration-for-amazon-brand-registry).

## How Many Classes Are Enough?

The typical structure in e-commerce is two: one goods class and class 35. If your range spans different classes — selling both cosmetics and clothing, say — the count rises.

The balance to watch: every additional class raises both the application fee and the renewal fee repeated every ten years, and classes not genuinely used within five years of registration are open to revocation. See [How Many Classes Should a Trademark Cover?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/how-many-classes-should-a-trademark-cover)

## Search Before You File

For e-commerce brands, class 35 is the most heavily filed class in Türkiye and the likelihood of a similar mark is high. If your brand name also describes what you sell ("Cosmetics Market", for instance), it may be refused for lack of distinctiveness.

The way to see both risks before paying fees is to [check the existing register](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/how-to-do-a-trademark-search) in every class you have chosen. The full set of grounds is collected in [Why Are Trademark Applications Refused?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/why-trademark-applications-are-refused)

## Let Us Define Your Scope

Share your product range and sales model, and our [trademark registration](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/hizmetler/marka-tescil) team will identify the goods classes you need and how the class 35 scope should be drafted.

For the commercial side of trademarks in e-commerce — marketplace requirements, fighting counterfeits, brand registry programmes — see [Trademark Registration for E-Commerce](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trademark-registration-for-e-commerce-sellers).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is class 35 enough for e-commerce?

If you sell only other people's products it usually is. But if you produce or commission goods under your own brand, class 35 alone is not enough: use of the mark on the product is protected by the relevant goods class, and without it a competitor may register the same name there.

### I do dropshipping. Which class?

If the goods you sell belong to someone else, what you do is intermediation in sales and falls into class 35. If you have the goods labelled under your own brand (private label), the relevant goods class is also required.

### I operate a marketplace platform. What do I need?

A marketplace has two layers: the service of bringing sellers and buyers together (35) and the platform itself as a software service (42). For most marketplaces both make sense.

### Which class do I need to sell on Trendyol or Amazon?

Marketplace brand programmes generally look for a registration or application in the class of the goods you sell; a class 35 registration alone may not be accepted in some programmes. This is a further reason to bring the goods class within scope.

### I only sell online and have no shop. Does that matter?

No. The retail service in class 35 covers both physical stores and electronic media; there is no separate "internet sales" class.

## Related Resources

- [Trademark Registration](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/hizmetler/marka-tescil): Explains how a trademark application is handled before TÜRKPATENT, from the preliminary search and class selection to the registration certificate.
- [Trademark Watch](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/hizmetler/marka-izleme): Covers monitoring similar applications published in the Official Trademark Bulletin and reporting them before the opposition period ends.
- [What Is Class 35 Trademark Registration? Retail and Store Services](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/class-35-trademark-registration-retail-services): What does Class 35 trademark registration cover? Its importance for retail, store operation, e-commerce and advertising services, sub-groups, and common mistakes.
- [Trademark Classes in Turkey: All 45 Classes Explained](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/45-nice-classification-classes-full-list): What are the trademark classes? The full list of all 45 Nice classes, what each one covers, and the changes introduced by TÜRKPATENT Communiqué 2026/2.
- [How to Choose Trademark Classes: A 5-Step Method](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trademark-classes-and-nice-classification): How do you choose trademark classes? A five-step method for translating your business into goods and services classes, how to draft scope, and the mistakes to avoid.
- [Trademark Registration for E-Commerce: Why It Is a Commercial Necessity](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trademark-registration-for-e-commerce-sellers): In e-commerce a trademark is a commercial requirement, not just a legal one: marketplace brand programmes, fighting counterfeit sellers and defending your listings.
- [How to Draft the Goods and Services List for a Trademark in Turkey](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/drafting-the-goods-and-services-list): How to draft a trademark goods and services list in Turkey: subgroups, broad vs. selective lists, Class 35 retail services, fee item 02.01.34 and an example.
- [Which Class Are Cosmetics Brands Registered In?](https://www.webx.net.tr/en/blog/trademark-class-for-cosmetics-brands): Cosmetics brands are registered in class 3; dermocosmetics and supplements may fall into class 5 and treatment services into class 44. A guide by product type.