Trademark Class 2: Paints, Coatings & Colorants

The top filing entities — SWIMC LLC (the parent of Sherwin-Williams), Ladas & Parry, and Calfee Halter & Griswold — reflect the dominance of large paint and coatings manufacturers alongside international IP firms managing global colorant portfolios. The class covers a commercially significant range of products from architectural paints to specialized industrial coatings, printing inks, and food-grade dyes.

Classification disputes in Class 2 most frequently arise at the boundary with Class 3. Colorants and dyes for industrial, artistic, or printing purposes belong in Class 2; colorants used in cosmetics belong in Class 3. Nail polish, despite being a type of lacquer, is a cosmetic and falls under Class 3, not Class 2. Ink presents another common confusion point: printing inks as raw materials are Class 2, while ink pens as finished stationery products are Class 16, and tattoo inks are Class 2. Artist paints in tubes are Class 2, but paintbrushes are Class 16.

Brands in the coatings industry typically file across Classes 1, 2, and 17, covering chemical solvents, the paints themselves, and insulating or protective materials. Printing ink manufacturers often pair Class 2 with Class 7 for printing machinery. For companies producing both consumer paint and industrial coatings, a coordinated filing strategy across these classes prevents gaps that competitors could exploit in adjacent product categories.