Trademark Class 40: Manufacturing Services | Complete Filing Guide
Everything you need to file a trademark in Class 40. Covers custom manufacturing, material treatment, printing, and energy production.
Class 40 covers custom manufacturing, material treatment, printing services, and energy generation. Contract manufacturers and processing services file here.
What Class 40 Covers
Class 40 includes treatment of materials, custom manufacturing, and energy production services.
The class covers:
- Custom manufacturing - Contract manufacturing, assembly
- Material treatment - Metal treating, textile treating
- Printing services - Printing, 3D printing
- Energy production - Power generation, recycling
Included in Class 40
Custom Manufacturing:
- Custom manufacture of goods
- Assembly services
- Contract manufacturing
- Made-to-order goods
- Production services
Material Treatment:
- Metal treating
- Textile treating
- Food processing
- Leather processing
- Wood treatment
Printing Services:
- Printing services
- Book printing
- Photo printing
- 3D printing
- Digital printing
Energy and Processing:
- Power generation
- Electricity production
- Recycling services
- Waste treatment
- Water treatment
NOT Included in Class 40
These similar items belong in other classes:
- Selling manufactured goods - Class 35 (Advertising & Business)
- The goods themselves - Various goods classes
- Repair services - Class 37 (Construction & Repair)
- Printing equipment - Class 7 (Machinery)
Manufacturing for Others
Class 40 is for manufacturing services provided to others, not for selling your own manufactured goods:
Class 40: "Custom manufacture of widgets for others" Goods class: Widgets that you manufacture and sell yourself
Common Services Descriptions
Using pre-approved descriptions from the USPTO Trademark ID Manual avoids the $200 custom description surcharge.
Popular pre-approved descriptions for Class 40:
- Custom manufacture of [goods]
- Printing services
- Material treatment information
- Recycling services
- Energy production
- 3D printing services
Well-Known Marks in Class 40
These recognizable brands are registered in Class 40:
- Vistaprint - Printing services
- Shapeways - 3D printing services
- Foxconn - Contract manufacturing
Filing Tips for Class 40
Specify What You Manufacture
Be specific about your manufacturing services:
- Good: "Custom manufacture of clothing"
- Good: "3D printing services"
- Good: "Metal plating services"
- Bad: "Manufacturing services"
- Bad: "Production"
Manufacturing vs. Selling
If you manufacture AND sell:
| Activity | Class |
|---|---|
| Manufacture for others | Class 40 |
| Sell manufactured goods | Class 35 |
| The goods themselves | Goods class |
Specimens for Manufacturing
For Class 40 trademarks, acceptable specimens include:
- Website showing services offered
- Service agreements
- Marketing materials
- Invoices for services
Related Classes
If you are filing in Class 40, you may also need:
- Class 7: Machinery - Manufacturing equipment
- Class 35: Advertising & Business - Retail services
- Class 37: Construction & Repair - Repair services
- Class 42: Technology Services - Design services
Filing Fees
Current USPTO fees for Class 40 trademark applications (2025):
| Filing Type | Fee per Class |
|---|---|
| Electronic filing (ID Manual description) | $350 |
| Electronic filing (custom description) | $550 |
| Paper filing | $1,000 |
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