Businesses are getting trademarks for just about everything these days, and that includes colors.  Yes, you read correctly, businesses can trademark colors. 

A popular example of this is T-Mobile’s trademark of the color “Magenta.”   But what does this mean?  Can I not use magenta in my favorite painting?  Stop, breathe, and don’t throw away the paint brush yet.  

Basically, a trademarked color for business purposes does not really affect the average person.  T-Mobile had to trademark a very specific color: here, Magenta RAL 4010.  While T-Mobile has sued two companies that used the color in their marketing, T-Mobile does not actually own “magenta.”  In order for T-Mobile to win a trademark infringement claim, it must prove:

1) You are using specifically “Magenta RAL 4010”

2) You are using to in order to sell or advertise another telecommunication product

3) You are using it in a way that will likely confuse a consumer into thinking T-Mobile is involved in some way

This is some tough criteria to demonstrate.   However, Verizon do not change your little red checkmark to T-Mobile’s magenta, otherwise there may be quite an interesting suit.

But for us average folk, we can still use colors like “Macaroni and Cheese Yellow” to our heart’s content.