Facebook + WhatsApp: The Marriage...

(Image property of Facebook. Used here as a "Fair Use".)

How much?!...

Feb. 19, 2014

FACEBOOK announces acquisition of WhatsApp for $19B.... BILLION!!! 

FYI:  "WhatsApp launched in 2009 with the right focus on a lean, clean, and fast mobile messaging app." (*TechCrunch).

(Image property of WhatsApp, er, Facebook. Used here as a "Fair Use".)

And wouldn't you know it but WhatsApp has a couple of trademark and service mark registrations for WHATSAPP, as follows (per the USPTO's TESS database at uspto.gov):

Word Mark    WHATSAPP
Goods and Services    IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Application service provider, namely, providing, hosting, managing, developing, and maintaining applications, software, web sites, and databases in the fields of personal productivity, wireless communication, mobile information access, and remote data management for wireless delivery of content to handheld computers, laptops and mobile electronic devices. FIRST USE: 20090224. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20090224
Standard Characters Claimed   
Mark Drawing Code    (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number    77703877
Filing Date    April 1, 2009
Current Basis    1A
Original Filing Basis    1A
Published for Opposition     January 18, 2011
Registration Number    3939463
Registration Date    April 5, 2011
Owner    (REGISTRANT) WhatsApp Inc. CORPORATION CALIFORNIA 3561 Homestead Road, #416 Santa Clara CALIFORNIA 95051

and

Word Mark    WHATSAPP
Goods and Services    IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Downloadable software, namely, instant messaging software, file sharing software, communications software for electronically exchanging data, audio, video images and graphics via computer, mobile, wireless, telecommunications networks and downloadable computer software for processing images, graphics, audio, video, and text. FIRST USE: 20090910. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20090910
IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Telecommunication services, namely, data transmission and reception services via telecommunication networks; electronic exchange of voice, data, audio, video, text and graphics accessible via computer and telecommunications networks; instant messaging services; mobile phone communication services. FIRST USE: 20090910. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20090910

Standard Characters Claimed   
Mark Drawing Code    (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number    85326910
Filing Date    May 22, 2011
Current Basis    1A
Original Filing Basis    1A
Published for Opposition     October 25, 2011
Registration Number    4083272
International Registration Number    1085539
Registration Date    January 10, 2012
Owner    (REGISTRANT) WhatsApp Inc. CORPORATION CALIFORNIA #416 3561 Homestead Road Santa Clara CALIFORNIA 950515161

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So next time you are thinking what your company is worth... don't forget your trademark and/or service mark rights, eh?!...

Comment:  Intellectual Property rights are certainly the core of this acquisition. Such i.p. rights have been fundamental to the successful expansion of this company's services.  In this regard,
TechCrunch has published an article online about the market penetration, esp. in Europe and Emerging markets, of WhatsApp:

    http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/19/facebook-whatsapp/

Other resource information (URL's cited; copy and paste into your browser to view):

http://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2014/02/19/stunner-facebook-to-buy-whatsapp-for-16-billion-in-cash-stock/

http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/19/facebooks-19-billion-whatsapp-acquisition-contextualized/?utm_campaign=fb&ncid=fb

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-facebook-buys-whatsapp-mobile-messaging-20140219,0,7246364.story#axzz2toUziGXe

http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/19/facebook-falls-5-in-after-hours-trading-after-announcing-16b-cash-and-stock-to-buy-chat-app-whatsapp/?utm_campaign=fb&ncid=fb

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Respectfully submitted,


William E. Maguire
LAW OFFICES OF WILLIAM E. MAGUIRE
Santa Monica, Calif.
www.TrademarkEsq.com

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