Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co.

United States Supreme Court

514 U.S. 159 (1995)

Relevant factsFree

Qualitex (plaintiff) used a distinctive green-gold color on its dry-cleaning press pads and registered that color as a trademark after rival Jacobson (defendant) began selling similarly colored pads; the lower court ruled for Jacobson, reasoning a color alone could not be trademarked.

IssueFree

Whether a color can be trademarked.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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