Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co., Inc.

Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co., Inc. is a 1995 U.S. Supreme Court case that addressed whether a color can be trademarked. Qualitex used a specific shade of green-gold on laundry ironing boards and argued they had exclusive rights to that color. The Court ruled that a color can be a trademark if it’s used to identify and distinguish a product, and the color has acquired secondary meaning, meaning consumers associate it with that brand. This decision confirmed that colors can serve as trademarks, helping companies protect distinctive brand elements beyond logos or words.