Class 18 is one of the classes that includes unworked or semi-worked materials, namely, leather, imitation leather and animal skins. It also includes finished goods that are classified according to material composition. In the Nice Classification, finished goods are in principle classified according to function or purpose. Goods that cannot be classified in this way are classified according to other criteria, like the material of which the goods are made (see General Remark (a) for Goods) and, if they are made of leather or imitations of leather, they belong to Class 18. For example, there is no appropriate class for packaging such as bags and pouches, which are thus classified in Class 18 if they are made of leather, and in any of the other "materials classes", for example, Cl. 16, Cl. 17 or Cl. 22, if they are made, respectively, of paper, rubber or textile. In contrast, clothing and shoes of leather belong to Cl. 25 because that is the appropriate class for clothing, footwear and headwear irrespective of material composition.
Items used for transporting personal goods, such as suitcases and other travelling bags, are in Class 18 irrespective of material composition. Umbrellas and walking sticks are also classified in Class 18, except walking sticks for medical purposes which belong to Cl. 10 and patio umbrellas which belong to Cl. 22.
Finally, due to the mention of whips, harness and saddlery in the Class Heading, many items in Class 18 relate to animals. Some examples are bits for animals, harness fittings, nose bags, covers for horse saddles, stirrups, leashes, and collars for animals, as well as clothing for pets which belongs to Class 18 and not Cl. 25. It should be noted, however, that there are animal-related items that are in classes other than Class 18, such as dog kennels in Cl. 20 and horse brushes in Cl. 21. Antiparasitic collars for animals are in Cl. 5, even though collars for animals are generally in Class 18, as the fact that they are specially designed to deliver an antiparasitic agent justifies their inclusion in Cl. 5.