Trademark class 38: telecommunications
Class 38 covers telecommunications: transmitting calls, messages and data, providing internet access, broadcasting, streaming transmission, online forums and videoconferencing.
Updated
- Class
- 38
- Type
- Services
- Commonly confused with
- Classes 41, 35, 42, 45, 36
What class 38 covers
Telecommunications services.
Internet service providers, mobile and telecom operators, broadcasters, messaging and VoIP services, and connectivity infrastructure companies.
Classes confused with class 38
- Class 41, education & entertainment: Content vs carriage. Transmitting a stream or broadcast is class 38; producing the content itself, including providing non-downloadable films and programmes, is class 41.
- Class 35, advertising & business: Advertising. Online, radio and television advertising and telemarketing are class 35 business services, not telecommunications.
- Class 42, technology & science: Technology services. Telecommunications technology consultancy and the platforms behind the service are class 42; the transmission service is class 38.
- Class 45, legal & personal: Social platforms. Online social networking services are class 45; providing the connection or the chatroom infrastructure is class 38.
- Class 36, finance & insurance: Services delivered online. Online banking and other services conducted over telecom connections keep their own class; only the communication service itself is class 38.
Classes filed alongside class 38
- Class 9, software & electronics: Routers, devices and apps for the service.
- Class 42, technology & science: Platform development and network services.
- Class 41, education & entertainment: Content production and channels.
- Class 35, advertising & business: Advertising and business operations.
Monitoring class 38 filings
Whatever classes your own mark is filed in, notolens scans all 45 Nice classes for conflicting filings rather than restricting monitoring to a selection. Trademark monitoring flags conflicting applications while they can still be opposed.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Transmitting video on demand is class 38, but providing the content itself, the films and programmes viewers watch, is class 41. Streaming platforms commonly file both.
Yes. Providing user access to global computer networks, telephone services and data transmission are the core of class 38.
Class 38 is moving the communication: calls, data, broadcasts. Class 42 is the technology work behind it: building platforms and advising on telecom technology.
Related tools and resources
Trademark Class Finder
Describe what you sell and see which of the 45 Nice trademark classes it falls under.
Trademark monitoring
Weekly trademark monitoring across USPTO, EUIPO and WIPO registers, covering all 45 Nice classes with each matching filing assessed and explained.
How to Oppose a Trademark Application
US and EU opposition windows, deadlines, fees, and the grounds panels weigh.
Ongoing brand monitoring
notolens checks daily registrations across 1,570 TLDs, trademark registers, and app stores. When a lookalike domain, conflicting mark, or copycat app appears, notolens checks it, explains the risk, and hands you the records and possible next steps.