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Google logo For example can I use the exact colors of Google Logo in my own logo? I have found the following information about the google logo here Googele logo trademark

However this article on google site clearly says not to imitate google color combination .I was hoping to use exact same color combination on my own logo but i don't want to infringe any IP property violation.Any help would be appreciated.

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  • AFAIK you cannot copyright the usage of 3 primary colors (and yellow). If you're concerned about this make sure that the digital version of your logo differs at least by one shade per color (humanly inperceptible difference) – BlueWizard Sep 1 '18 at 7:44
  • I'm planning to design a logo using the same color combo but with completely different look & feel – Shankha Jana Sep 1 '18 at 11:24
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Caveat: I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

As Google themselves have shown - by borrowing the same 4 colours used by Microsoft for the Windows logo - you can't copyright a colour combination.

enter image description here enter image description here

I think the closest rule in your link is

  • Don't adopt marks, logos, slogans, or designs that are confusingly similar to our Brand Features.

So I think you'd have more trouble with a large C in the same style

enter image description here

than you would with a completely different look & feel that just happened to share the same colours.
To play safe, it would probably be best to avoid using those exact colours in combination.

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  • I'm concerned about this point "Don't copy or imitate Google's trade dress, including the look and feel of Google web design properties or Google brand packaging, distinctive color combinations, typography, graphic designs, product icons, or imagery associated with Google." Although i'm planning to a my logo with a completely different look and feel – Shankha Jana Sep 1 '18 at 11:29
  • We don't have enough information to go on. You asked about the colours. The answer is about the colours. – Tetsujin Sep 1 '18 at 12:54
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Individual colours aren't generally copyrightable because nobody could ever claim to have created a colour - colours simply exist.

However, when it comes to use of specific colour combinations/colour schemes, or even individual colours used in branding, these could potentially be seen as part of a company's trademark. There has been at least one case you can read about here which ended up in court, and the complainant won. There's another interesting article here - of course in this particular case, it was not the colour that is protected, but the use of that colour for selling chocolate.

Disclaimer: This isn't legal advice, and I am not a lawyer. Ask your lawyer if you want legal advice (or choose different colours).

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  • First link is giving me a 404. Any chance you could check it? – Tetsujin Sep 8 '18 at 17:23
  • @Tetsujin Yeah the link seems to have died, I found another describing the case, from the company who actually took the court action: deere.com/en/our-company/news-and-announcements/news-releases/… - I'll update the link in the answer too. – Billy Kerr Sep 8 '18 at 17:33
  • Cool, thanks - it does bring up the issue that in each case the two 'companies' were actually in the same kind of market, which is much stickier ground. – Tetsujin Sep 8 '18 at 17:49
  • @Tetsujin - yes, that certainly was an issue! – Billy Kerr Sep 8 '18 at 17:52

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