WHATSAPP is notable because it shows how Class 38 reaches into app-based messaging and internet communication rather than old telecom models alone. The mark is globally famous and instantly understood by users. That makes the page more modern and search friendly.
UK IPO Record
- Application Number
- UK00801095940
- Word Mark
- Status
- Registered
- Applied
- 6 October 2011
- Registered
- 19 September 2012
- Next Renewal
- 6 October 2031
- Owner
- WhatsApp LLC
- Nice Classes
- Class 38
Trademark Classification
Nice Class 38 covers telecommunications. View all Class 38 trademarks and case studies →
Brand History & Trademark Analysis
WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton, both former Yahoo! employees, and launched on the Apple App Store in November 2009. The name plays on the phrase "What's up?" combined with "app." Facebook (now Meta) acquired WhatsApp in February 2014 for approximately $19 billion, one of the largest technology acquisitions in history. Meta registered the WhatsApp trademark in the UK as part of a global trademark portfolio strategy, filing separate marks for the word, the green telephone handset device, and the stylised speech-bubble logo. In 2021 WhatsApp updated its privacy policy to share user data with Meta, triggering enforcement action by the Irish Data Protection Commission and a record €225 million GDPR fine.