Yes, T-Mobile supposedly owns the rights to the color magenta. I just learned about this from thehappycorp, whose cheery logo also happens to be same hue.
COLOURlovers warns against the use of said color in the industry which the company belongs to. It’s telecommunications, and that’s a pretty broad area.
The article also quotes exactly which type of magenta is “owned” by T-Mobile and its mother company, Deutsche Telekom. Apparently they’ve registered the color number 395 52 630 since 2000:
The plaintiff, Deutsche Telekom AG, which uses the colour “magenta†for designating its services and in its advertisements and/or commercials, has been the owner of the colour mark No. 395 52 630 “magenta†(RAL 4010) since September 12, 2000 which was registered on the basis of a proven secondary meaning (i. a. for goods and services in the field of tele-communications). Furthermore, the plaintiff is also the proprietor of Community colour mark “magenta†registered on August 3, 2000.
Obviously, T-Mobile has pulled a Tiffany Blue. You can’t blame them for laying claim to a most effective method of brand recall. The only difference is T-Mobile now has the right to sue any entity in the same industry that uses magenta. And that industry, the telecommunications industry, is a big one: from telephones to mobile phones to the Internet. This could even move over to all other industries if the company becomes famous enough.
So now everybody’s up in arms to reclaim the color magenta. You can’t blame them, either.
now that’s just retarded. meanwhile, as the text capital of the world, why don’t Smart or Globe make their own cellphone brands to compete with Nokia and Motorola. Mas magiging mura na ang cellphone, madami pang magkaka-trabaho sa Pinas!
Mojacko, I doubt Smart or Globe is making that much money, or owns the same amount of infrastructure to compete globally. :P But let’s see. Maybe, just maybe.