A German appeals court ordered a retrial yesterday, in a battle between two global skin-care brands, Dove and Nivea, over who owns a shade of dark blue featured on packaging. The verdict gives Beiersdorf AG, the German company that makes Nivea cream and cleansers, a fresh chance to argue that its registration of the color as a trademark is legally binding. Unilever, the British-Dutch maker of Dove soaps, shampoos and other products, had demanded the cancellation of the trademark, and won the first round in a federal patent court in 2013. The federal high court in Karlsruhe, southern Germany referred the case back to patent judges for a rehearing, saying they had set the standard too high when they ruled the 2007 registration for Germany invalid. The blue in the case is a specific shade, Pantone 280 C, defined by a proprietary standard for the colors of inks set by Pantone Inc. Colors are believed to subtly convey emotions that can persuade shoppers to commit to a product. Hamburg-based Nivea has had blue on its cream bottles for many years and Dove also uses blue prominently on its packaging in Germany.
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.