The Vienna Classification - signed in 1973 and entered into force in 1985 - was established by the Vienna Agreement Establishing an International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (hereinafter referred to as "the Vienna Agreement").
The purpose of the Vienna Classification is the practical one of facilitating trademark anticipation searches and obviating substantial reclassification work when documents are exchanged at the international level. Furthermore, the countries party to the Vienna Agreement no longer need to draw up their own national classification or keep an existing one up to date.
The Vienna Classification constitutes a hierarchical system that proceeds from the general to the particular, dividing all figurative elements into categories, divisions and sections according to their form. The Vienna Classification comprises a total of 29 categories, 145 divisions, 816 main sections, and 918 auxiliary sections. Hungary is not a party to the Vienna Agreement, but it is applied in many non-contracting countries.
The eighth edition in force came into effect on January 1, 2018.