Color claims for trademarks should in general be avoided. To be clear, there are situations when claiming color on a trademark registration application makes sense, but these situations are not common. What's more, color claims might create issues in the future, if you stop using your trademark exactly as registered.
Reclamar uno o varios colores como elemento distintivo de la marca
Al registrar logotipos y palabras estilizadas como marcas, las empresas tienen la opción de reivindicar uno o varios colores como elemento distintivo de la marca. Si se reivindica el color, es necesario adjuntar una imagen en color a la solicitud de registro de la marca, al menos en China y en Estados Unidos. Por ejemplo, la marca que se muestra a continuación, registrada en Estados Unidos por Starbucks Corporation, reivindica los colores verde, negro y blanco:
Las marcas también tienen la opción de no especificar el color. En esos casos, se debe proporcionar una imagen en escala de grises. La marca que se muestra a continuación es un ejemplo de una marca registrada sin especificar el color, también de Starbucks:
When a color claim is not made, trademark protection extends to the trademark irrespective of the color scheme on it. In other words, the registration for the trademark immediately above protects Starbucks' exclusive right to use the mark not just in black and white, but also in green, black, and white, or pink, purple, and yellow, and so on. By contrast, the mark registered in color only protects Starbucks' exclusive right to use the green, black, and white version.
Para las grandes marcas como Starbucks, la distinción suele ser meramente teórica, ya que estas suelen registrar sus marcas comerciales principales tanto con como sin la indicación del color, lo que les garantiza el mayor alcance de protección posible. Sin embargo, para las empresas más pequeñas, las limitaciones presupuestarias pueden hacer inviable el registro de múltiples versiones de sus marcas comerciales, sobre todo si también registran otras marcas, como sus nombres en inglés o chino, eslóganes o nombres de productos.
To be clear, registering a trademark with a color claim does not mean that other parties can do whatever they want with the mark as long as they change the color scheme. Sticking to the example at hand, if I open a coffee shop and place a red, orange, and yellow version of the Starbucks logo outside, it is almost certain that USPTO would not register "my" garish trademark, and that Starbucks would win a trademark infringement action against me.
What's the issue with color claims then? Consider the following scenario, based on a situation one of our clients recently encountered.
Imagina que registras tu marca en Estados Unidos incluyendo una especificación de colores (rojo y negro). A continuación, amplías esa protección a China a través del Sistema de Madrid. Con el tiempo, dejas de utilizar el logotipo rojo y negro y empiezas a usar una versión más sencilla, solo en negro. Cuando llega el momento de presentar la declaración de uso quinquenal para la marca estadounidense, presentas una muestra en la que aparece el logotipo negro.
In this situation, USPTO will consider, on a case-by-case basis, whether there has been a "material alteration" of the trademark. If in this case USPTO determines that there has indeed been a material alteration, it will reject the Declaration of Use, in turn leading to cancellation of the mark. Making things worse, because you used the Madrid System to obtain trademark protection in China, that protection depends on the original U.S. trademark registration for five years. A cancellation of the U.S. trademark registration would lead to the cancellation of the international registration upon which the extension to China depends. This would require you to "transform" the China trademark protections into a regular China trademark registration, leading to added costs and hassles.
Terceros en el registro de su marca en China
Another possible hiccup involves a challenge by a third party of your China trademark registration. Imagine that you register a trademark in China (applying directly to the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), not via the Madrid System), claiming the color blue. However, as you roll out your brand in China, your marketing team convinces you to use red instead, suggesting that color will resonate more with Chinese consumers. A few years later, a competitor files a cancellation action against your trademark, on the basis of non-use. You respond by submitting ample evidence of your use of the mark in red. CNIPA might accept that as evidence of use ... but it might not.
As you can see, failure to continue using a trademark registered in color, in the exact form in which it was registered, can imperil your trademark rights. In the two scenarios above, the ultimate outcome might not be fatal, depending on the circumstances, but in both cases — likely unnecessary — color claims have the potential to lead to problems. What's more, as China contemplates requiring certifications of use for registered trademarks every five years (see China Trademarks: Use It or Lose It for more information), the potential for color claim-related troubles is bound to grow.
