Trademark Class 18: Luggage, Bags & Leather Goods

The class's top filers — Louis Vuitton, Coach (now under Tapestry, Inc.), and Samsonite — reflect two distinct commercial segments: luxury fashion houses protecting handbag and small leather goods marks, and travel goods manufacturers securing rights in luggage and carrying bags. The class also covers imitation leather, animal skins and hides, walking sticks, whips, harness and saddlery, and a frequently overlooked subcategory: collars, leashes, and clothing for animals, which has grown substantially with the pet products market.

The most common classification pitfall in Class 18 involves the boundary with Class 25. Clothing for humans belongs in Class 25; clothing for animals belongs in Class 18. Leather furniture is classified in Class 20, not here. Watch straps fall under Class 14 with horological goods. These distinctions matter because luxury brands frequently file across Classes 18, 25, and 14 as a coordinated portfolio strategy, and misclassification can leave gaps in protection.

Umbrellas and parasols are sometimes overlooked as Class 18 goods, as applicants may assume they belong with outdoor equipment or accessories. For fashion and lifestyle brands, Class 18 is typically filed alongside Class 25 for clothing and Class 14 for jewelry, forming the core trio of fashion trademark protection.