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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [BUSINESS]
2 clusters · 12 sources · 4 days · First seen · Last updated
Obi trademark dispute over orange color
Overview
The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled against the DIY retail chain Obi, stripping the company of its exclusive trademark protection for its signature orange color. The legal dispute was initiated by competitors Hornbach and Globus, who sought to cancel the abstract color trademark that Obi had registered in 2010.
While Obi presented surveys suggesting a significant portion of the population associated the color with the brand, the court determined that the shade lacks the necessary distinctiveness to serve as a unique indicator of origin. The BGH concluded that in the context of hardware stores, orange serves more as a “general indicator for DIY stores” rather than a specific identifier for a single company.
As a result of the ruling, competitors are permitted to continue using orange or red in their branding. Obi has stated that although the formal registration is lost, orange will remain a central part of its visual identity.
Entities
Globus · Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt · Bundesgerichtshof · Obi · Hornbach
Timeline
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12 days ago
[BUSINESS] 7 sourcesObi loses trademark protection for orange color in German court rulingGermany's Federal Court of Justice ruled that Obi loses trademark protection for its orange color, stating the shade lacks the distinctiveness required to identify a single hardware retailer.
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15 days ago
[BUSINESS] 5 sourcesObi loses exclusive trademark rights to orange color in German court rulingGermany's Federal Court of Justice ruled that DIY retailer Obi cannot claim exclusive trademark rights to the color orange, citing a lack of distinctiveness for the shade.
Sources
diebewertung.de · etailment.de · faz.net · fehmarn24.de · finanzen.net · kreiszeitung.de · mannheim24.de · markenblog.de · meinegemeinde.vol.at · merkur-online.de · tagesschau.de · wohnungswirtschaft-heute.de