ryujin470@fedia.io to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · 25 days agoAre color schemes used in UIs of video games and computer software subject to trademark?message-squaremessage-square11fedilinkarrow-up121arrow-down11file-text
arrow-up120arrow-down1message-squareAre color schemes used in UIs of video games and computer software subject to trademark?ryujin470@fedia.io to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · 25 days agomessage-square11fedilinkfile-text
Colors can be trademarked in conjunction with certain services. Does this applies to UIs of computer programs as well?
minus-squarehendrik@palaver.p3x.delinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up8arrow-down1·edit-225 days agoSure. Why would a computer UI be an exception? Law applies to computer interfaces the same way as it does to other things. Trademarking colors is difficult though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour_trade_mark
minus-squareBlisterexe@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkarrow-up8·25 days agoTldr: you can do it, but you have to argue real well that the color is distictive and associated exclusively with your brand. An example of a trademarked color is ups brown
minus-squareSpaceNoodle@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up6·25 days agoViolating copyright every time I take a shit
minus-squareBlisterexe@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkarrow-up10·25 days agoFun fact: you can use most trademarked colors for anything as long as it isnt in the same sector as the company that trademarked it. E.g, if a purse company trademarked a certain shade of pink, you could still sell computers that color.
minus-squareBougieBirdie@lemmy.blahaj.zonelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up4·25 days agoWould I then run afoul if I branched out and had computer accessories, like laptop bags?
minus-squareBlisterexe@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkarrow-up6·25 days agothen the purse company would have to convince a court that the color of your laptop bag incites confusion as to wether or not they made it.
minus-squareAstronauticaldb@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up3·25 days agoNot a lawyer, but hypothetically yes? I think it’s the same situation with Pantone colors being only legally viewable on Adobe software or whatever. (Will double check on the validity of that though)
minus-squarehendrik@palaver.p3x.delinkfedilinkarrow-up3·25 days agoJust don’t tell anyone, right? Mine is T-Mobile magenta.
Sure. Why would a computer UI be an exception? Law applies to computer interfaces the same way as it does to other things.
Trademarking colors is difficult though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour_trade_mark
Tldr: you can do it, but you have to argue real well that the color is distictive and associated exclusively with your brand.
An example of a trademarked color is ups brown
Violating copyright every time I take a shit
Fun fact: you can use most trademarked colors for anything as long as it isnt in the same sector as the company that trademarked it.
E.g, if a purse company trademarked a certain shade of pink, you could still sell computers that color.
Would I then run afoul if I branched out and had computer accessories, like laptop bags?
then the purse company would have to convince a court that the color of your laptop bag incites confusion as to wether or not they made it.
Not a lawyer, but hypothetically yes? I think it’s the same situation with Pantone colors being only legally viewable on Adobe software or whatever. (Will double check on the validity of that though)
So I can’t ship my shit?
Just don’t tell anyone, right? Mine is T-Mobile magenta.