Comments on: Seeing red http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/03/16/seeing-red/ Because all the other domain names were taken Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:53:48 +0000 hourly 1 By: doctorvee http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/03/16/seeing-red/comment-page-1/#comment-1765 doctorvee Fri, 17 Mar 2006 17:04:25 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=857#comment-1765 I think it is actually a very common thing for companies to trademark their distinctive colours. I know, for instance, that Cadbury's has trademarked the colour purple. I think it's mostly to stop people making the kind of copycat packaging designs that you see in cheap supermarkets. I think it is actually a very common thing for companies to trademark their distinctive colours. I know, for instance, that Cadbury’s has trademarked the colour purple. I think it’s mostly to stop people making the kind of copycat packaging designs that you see in cheap supermarkets.

]]> By: Tom http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/03/16/seeing-red/comment-page-1/#comment-1759 Tom Fri, 17 Mar 2006 13:40:03 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=857#comment-1759 It doesn't apply to all uses, just very specific ones. If you used the colour red in a picture of a pretty sunset, no problem. But if you used it to brand your new postal delivery business, then they'd have issues with you. For example, EasyGroup have their specific colour of orange trademarked, and so there's a barrier to other companies using it in the businesses Easy are already in. But if Stelios tries to launch an EasyMobilePhone company, there's not a chance in hell that they'll get to brand their phones with their trademark orange. Because Orange would sue them to buggery. I believe that there's even some fairly strict criteria for the the range of variation around specific trademarked colours (RGB, CMYK, Pantone, however it's defined) that's off limits. But I'm not sure exactly how close you can get to a trademarked shade witthout infringing... It doesn’t apply to all uses, just very specific ones. If you used the colour red in a picture of a pretty sunset, no problem. But if you used it to brand your new postal delivery business, then they’d have issues with you.

For example, EasyGroup have their specific colour of orange trademarked, and so there’s a barrier to other companies using it in the businesses Easy are already in. But if Stelios tries to launch an EasyMobilePhone company, there’s not a chance in hell that they’ll get to brand their phones with their trademark orange. Because Orange would sue them to buggery.

I believe that there’s even some fairly strict criteria for the the range of variation around specific trademarked colours (RGB, CMYK, Pantone, however it’s defined) that’s off limits. But I’m not sure exactly how close you can get to a trademarked shade witthout infringing…

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