P&O
P&O (Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) has been registered in the UK for transport and shipping services since the company's founding in 1837. P&O was once the largest shipping company in the world and its ferries, cruise liners, and cargo services defined British maritime commerce for over 150 years.
UK IPO Record
- Application Number
- UK00900218115
- Word Mark
- P&O
- Status
- Registered
- Applied
- 1 April 1996
- Registered
- 30 November 1998
- Next Renewal
- 1 April 2026
- Owner
- The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
- Nice Classes
- Class 16, Class 18, Class 25, Class 34, Class 35, Class 36, Class 37, Class 39, Class 40, Class 41, Class 42
Brand History & Trademark Analysis
P&O (Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) has been registered in the UK for transport and shipping services since the company's founding in 1837. P&O was once the largest shipping company in the world and its ferries, cruise liners, and cargo services defined British maritime commerce for over 150 years. DP World's acquisition of P&O in 2006 and the subsequent controversies around P&O Ferries in 2022 kept the trademark in the national spotlight.
DP World's acquisition of P&O in 2006 and the subsequent controversies around P&O Ferries in 2022 kept the trademark in the national spotlight.
Nice Class 39 covers transport & storage. View all Class 39 trademarks and case studies →
Historical Background
P&O was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1840 and received its first mail contract from the British government in 1837. The P&O house flag — a red and yellow diagonal — became one of the most recognised ensigns at sea. The ampersand in "P&O" is retained in trademark registrations, requiring careful handling in digitalised trademark database filings. The 2022 P&O Ferries mass redundancy of 800 crew members without notice placed the brand at the centre of a parliamentary inquiry.