T-Mobile Sues AT&T Over Using The Color Magenta in Aio Wireless Brand

T-Mobile is suing AT&T Subsidiary Aio Wireless for using T-Mobile's 'trademark' magenta color in Aio's logo.

T-Mobile accuses AT&T of setting up Aio wireless to combat the the carrier's "Uncarrier" strategy. They claim AT&T is using magenta to confuse customers and compete with the T-Mobile brand. T-Mobile claimed that they "filed this lawsuit to stop them, and to protect T-Mobile’s powerful magenta trademark.”

In early 2013, T-Mobile publicly disclosed plans to compete against the incumbent telecommunications providers in a new way: by offering telecommunications services without the need for consumers to enter into a two-year or annual service contract.

The dominant telecommunications provider, AT&T, responded by setting up a wholly owned subsidiary, Aio, which — out of all of the colors in the universe — chose magenta to begin promoting no-contract wireless communications services in direct competition with T-Mobile. AT&T’s subsidiary’s use of magenta to attract T-Mobile customers is likely to dilute T-Mobile’s famous magenta color trademark, and to create initial interest confusion as to the source or affiliation of AT&T’s subsidiary’s business

Aio/AT&T spokeswoman Kathy Van Buskirk responded claiming: “Aio doesn’t do magenta -- T-Mobile needs an art lesson.”

T-Mobile CEO John Legere took shots at AT&T through Twitter, jokingly showing the crayon box that AT&T was using.

Do you think the two logos are similar in color? Take a look below and let us know in the comments...


via Allthingsd