As the Easter season rolls around, shelves fill with
chocolate eggs, bunny-shaped treats, and festive branding that is
instantly recognisable. Behind many of these familiar products are
powerful trade marks. These are an essential tool in protecting the
identity and value of seasonal products (and
non-seasonal!).
A trade mark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or
services of one business from those of another. They can include
words, logos, slogans, shapes, and even colours. At Easter, this
legal protection becomes particularly important, as companies
compete in a short, high-revenue window dominated by iconic
branding.
Take for example the Cadbury purple (Pantone 2685C), a colour
fiercely protected for decades. While Cadbury lost a notable legal
battle in 2013 over exclusive rights to its purple on certain
chocolate products, the UK High Court delivered a pivotal ruling
that partially favoured Cadbury in 2022, clarifying the conditions
under which
