"Send to Vienna Codification" — Trademark Status Meaning
The status "Send to Vienna Codification" means your trademark contains a logo or figurative element and has been forwarded to the Registry's Vienna Codification unit to be assigned international classification codes for its visual elements. It is a normal, positive step for logo marks — no action is required from you.
If your application status reads "Send to Vienna Codification", it almost always means you filed a logo (device) trademark rather than a plain word. This is a routine, behind-the-scenes classification step — not an objection or a problem. Here is what the Vienna Codification actually does and why your application is here.
What does "Send to Vienna Codification" mean?
The Vienna Classification is an international system (established by the Vienna Agreement, 1973) for categorising the figurative — that is, visual or graphic — elements of trademarks. When your mark includes a logo, symbol, image, or stylised design, the Registry sends it to its Vienna Codification unit, which analyses the artwork and assigns standardised codes describing its elements (for example, a code for a "star", an "animal", or a "geometric shape"). These codes make the mark searchable by visual content, so examiners and the public can find similar logos. This status therefore only appears for marks with a figurative element; pure word marks skip it entirely.
What you should do now
No action is needed. "Send to Vienna Codification" is an internal administrative step handled entirely by the Registry. You do not file anything, pay anything, or respond to anything. It is simply useful confirmation that your logo application is progressing normally. Continue using the ™ symbol on your logo and keep records of use. If you also want the broadest protection for the name itself, this is a good moment to consider filing the wordmark separately, since a logo (device) filing protects mainly the specific design.
What happens next
Once codification is complete, the application returns to the main queue and proceeds to the formality check and then examination — the same path any application follows. Your status will move on to "Formalities Chk Pass", then "Marked for Exam", and ultimately toward acceptance and publication. Vienna Codification itself does not decide your outcome; it is purely a classification of your logo's visual elements.
"Send to Vienna Codification" is a routine step that only logo trademarks go through, where the Registry assigns standard codes to your artwork's visual elements. It requires nothing from you and is not a sign of any problem — your logo application is simply being processed normally.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral-to-good — a normal processing step for logo trademarks, not an objection. It simply means your mark contains a figurative element that is being assigned international classification codes. No action is required.
Usually about 2 to 3 weeks, though it depends on the Registry's backlog. After codification, the application returns to the normal queue for the formality check and examination.
Because your application includes a logo or design element and theirs is likely a plain word mark. Vienna Codification only applies to figurative (visual) marks — it classifies the graphic elements. Word-only marks skip this stage.
No. It is an internal Registry step. You do not file, pay, or respond to anything. Simply wait for your status to advance to the formality check and examination stages.
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