Class 9 is often described as the class of electronic equipment but, in fact, it includes a wide variety of goods. There are five general areas of goods: apparatus and instruments for scientific or research purposes, information technology and audiovisual equipment, apparatus and devices for controlling the distribution or use of electricity, optical apparatus and instruments, and safety equipment. Of course, these groups of products are very general and do not comprise all goods in Class 9, which is one of the largest classes of the Nice Classification.
It is worth mentioning that safety equipment and protective clothing are classified in Class 9 based on the reference to "life-saving… apparatus" in the Class Heading. The inclusion of protective clothing in this class becomes more understandable if the term "life-saving" is interpreted in the sense of "preventing serious or fatal accidents", as well as in the sense of "saving human lives". Therefore, protective clothing belongs to Class 9 just as much as goods such as breathing apparatus (not for medical purposes), life belts, life jackets and bullet-proof waistcoats do. Examples of protective clothing in Class 9 are clothing and shoes for protection against accidents, irradiation and fire, clothing especially made for laboratories, protective helmets (including for sports), mouth guards and head guards for sports. However, it should be noted that protective paddings used as parts of sports suits are classified in Cl. 28 as sports articles; these goods are not considered to be "life-saving" since their function is to protect against bumps and bruises that are not usually fatal or physically incapacitating.
Similarly, Class 9 also includes apparatus for diving, such as diving suits, divers' masks, ear plugs for divers, nose clips for divers and swimmers, gloves for divers and breathing apparatus for underwater swimming. Although the function of these goods as life-saving equipment may not be immediately evident, they each form part of the equipment used by a diver that is effectively aimed at preserving life and thus this type of apparatus is proper to Class 9.
Teaching and training apparatus, including simulators, are in Class 9 as well. This includes goods such as audiovisual teaching apparatus, resuscitation mannequins, hairdressing training heads and simulators for the steering and control of vehicles. It should nonetheless be noted that "teaching materials" ranging from books to blackboards to terrestrial globes belong to Cl. 16.
Certain robots like humanoid robots with artificial intelligence for use in scientific research, laboratory robots, teaching robots and security surveillance robots belong to this class as they perform Class 9 functions but there are robots in other classes, such as industrial robots in Cl. 7, surgical robots in Cl. 10 and toy robots in Cl. 28.
It should also be mentioned that certain apparatus in Class 9 may be classified in Cl. 10 when used for medical purposes, for example, lasers, X-ray apparatus, MRI apparatus, respirators, and testing apparatus.
Finally, digital goods such as music or electronic books which are intended to be downloaded onto an end user's electronic device are in Class 9. This includes digital goods, for example in the nature of image files, that can be used in virtual environments. It should be noted that the provision of non-downloadable digital goods online is considered to be a service in Cl. 41 and online retail services for these goods would be in Cl. 35.