The United States Patent and Trademark Office announced the launch of “Class ACT” - its Trademark Classification Agentic Codification Tool designed to accelerate the trademark application pre-processing pipeline. While this should affect all trademark owners and applicants, it is especially noteworthy for technology-focused brands navigating complex classification issues.

What Is Class ACT?

Class ACT is an AI agent that automates some of the most time-consuming elements of trademark application pre-processing. Specifically, the tool can immediately assign international classes to unclassified applications and generate the design search codes and pseudo marks that make trademark records searchable. According to USPTO Director John A. Squires, tasks that historically took up to five months can now be completed in as little as five minutes (or seconds). 

Why this matters

Trademark applications involving logos, unconventional designs, non-standard spelling, or missing international class designations have historically faced unique search challenges. Increased year-to-year trademark filings have not helped the problem, further adding to delays in application processing and affecting examination timelines. Ten years ago, I remember average processing times of around 3-4 months until initial examination, which has now more than doubled. Class ACT aims to address this bottleneck by providing (hopefully accurate) classification information almost instantly, while still preserving human review at the USPTO.

So what?

• Faster processing times. The most immediate benefit should be a reduction in pre-examination delays, which should translate to shorter overall pendency for new applications.

• Improved searchability. By automatically coding design elements and pseudo marks, the quality of trademark searches performed by both examining attorneys and outside practitioners should be enhanced, strengthening clearance and enforcement efforts.

• Particular relevance for tech brands. Companies in the technology space, especially those offering digital goods, software, or AI-driven services, frequently encounter classification complexity. Faster and more accurate classification will hopefully reduce friction for these filings.

• Human oversight remains in place. The USPTO has emphasized that AI-generated classification data is still reviewed by USPTO personnel, so the tool augments rather than replaces expert human judgment.

• More AI tools on the horizon. The USPTO has indicated that additional AI-powered trademark solutions are forthcoming, signaling a broader modernization effort that stakeholders should monitor.

If you have questions about how these changes may affect your trademark portfolio or filing strategy, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.