#ed008c = solidarity
I wish this was an April Fool’s joke, but it’s not. Deutsche Telekom is demanding that Engadget Mobile discontinue its use of the color magenta, as it causes “confusion” between the brands. In response, Engadget has gone a lovely shade of pink for the day (although, I kind of love it and wish it would stay that way). Ryan has started a campaign (OK, maybe he didn’t mean to start it, but I am) to show DT that we won’t be bossed around! We’ll use #ed008c to our little hearts content!
It’s so silly, but it’s also a symptom of big business getting it all wrong once again. I’m not against protecting your trademark, but I’m definitely against frivolous and needless lawsuits. Oh, I’m sorry, were too many people going to Engadget Mobile to buy Sidekicks? Was Verizon blaming DT for leaked photos on Engadget Mobile? I don’t think so.
Please, feel free to argue in the comments, or to steal the image above and spread the word.
41 Responses to “#ed008c = solidarity”
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That is one hot pink.
I wish this rebellion was based on a less nauseating color.
It’s a joke!
Man, DT/T-Mobile is out of line. I wouldn’t be surprised that they did this in the first place to rouse up publicity, bad one mind you, but publicity all the same. Either way it’s not going to endear them any new Internet friends.
Anyways, love the pink. After a while it makes me want to chew bubblegum.
I can’t believe companies are still attempting to do such inane things such as this. You can’t trademark a color!
It’s one thing for a company such as Tiffany & Co. not wanting companies creating knockoffs using the same color, as that would be a true instance of potentially creating confusion.
A gadget blog that talks about other companies’ stuff, and DOES NOT ACTUALLY PRODUCE A SIMILAR OR COMPETING PRODUCT cannot be held to the same standard. You can’t create confusion this way. Nobody is going to mistake a green apple for a lime.
It’s completely ridiculous. If we were talking about a trademarked logo, that would be one thing, but it’s about a COLOR. T-Mobile is being really immature. Everyone should embrace #ed008c as much as they can!
While Ryan’s magenta-gate was not a joke, you really got us with your own (which I will leave unspoiled for the nonce). Great job!
First they came for magenta, next they come for Cyan.
Why not go for the whole spectrum and get Verizon in the suit for their shade of red. I mean, it’s pretty close to magenta. Wouldn’t want to confuse those brands either. I vote for a complete copyright on anything with any red in it. That would eliminate all the confusion. (watch out McD’s, KFC, Target, etc here comes DT!)
I’m thinking this could this be considered brand racism? You?
@Jim – I just SAID it’s not a joke!
Where in the world is the damned confussion, silly demand.
I would be ashamed if I had to sign that letter they sent Engadget. That’s it!
Maybe those two persons that signed the letter were chosen from the most-asshole assholes at DT or they were fooled and told to sign some bonus receipt or something good, otherwise I don’t see how anyone could dare signing that crappy-demand concerning 1 color.
[...] deutsche telekom is doing it again: magenta suing. they did it before. and lost! (thanks veronica for the [...]
turning my twitter background colour too.
http://www.twitter.com/ricardo_rdgze
Just for today, not a good color for a not so tough guy.
[...] Thanks to the lovely and talented Veronica Belmont for the story [...]
Deutsche Telecom sucks – even in Germany.
Reminds me of a few years ago (God maybe a decade) when the Dallas Cowboys tried to do the same thing with their star logo. They wanted to charge all of the kids leagues to use the logo. Then out of nowhere Converse stepped in and said that they have been using the star as a logo long before there was a Dallas Cowboys and the Cowboys should rethink their lawsuit. The same will happen to DT. Imagine if IBM attempted this with PMS300 or Coke did this with Red and White? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Big business and anti-bullying, #ed008c covers a lot of causes.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2007/09/18/pink-tshirts-students.html
Okay, okay magenta isn’t pink…. but close enough
It’s the Internet; we drawn loose connections where ever we can.
Pink Power!
[...] link to tons of articles about it, but instead I’ll link to Veronica Belmont’s great description here and give you a brief explanation [...]
[...] via Veronica Belmont [...]
Deutsche Telekom is right. It’s their visual identity and everything that resembles it, will create confusion between the brands especially because Engadget Mobile.
theres a twitter team for it
http://www.twitter.com/ed008c
Auch das noch! Was is los mit DT? Auwe!
I jumped on the bandwagon
(http://www.ehdtstudios.blogspot.com)
The ONLY April fools joke I fell for was the one on Mahalo Daily today. I was totally duped. Even after not falling for the Diggnation one and the ones on TV. You got me. I applaud you. You Rock!!!
April Fools.
Actually you suck.
Sorry. I still want to see the Steve Jobs interview. A little hurt here.
[...] #ed008c = solidarity – Veronica Belmont [...]
It’s not just the color, they have also claimed the letter T and sued a small company called T3 (http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Telekom-erhebt-Anspruch-auf-den-Buchstaben-T–/meldung/19848 , in German)
Is this part of Ze Frank’s ‘Color Wars’?
OMG
DOUCHE Telekom, which managed an EPIC FAIL with the iPhone in the USA, is now telling peeps what color their site can be?
Fuck them and fuck their bullshit! When they get their tampons replaced, lemme know!
Until then, they can ride the Telecom Is Competitive Highway and blow a load of FCC Bullshit!
#ed008c FTW!
Years ago, DC Comics attempted to slap TMs on the Greek pantheon – Zeus(TM) – to support their Wonder Woman property. Until this day, that’s been my gold standard for this kind of nonsense. I wonder how long this paragon of the ridiculous will stand before another corporation tries something even sillier.
[...] have not much time to write a post so I just copy the post Veronica wrote, and that’s totally my [...]
Gray and dirty pink is not like bright pink and blue, give me a break.
P.S. My full Support to Engadget
My full suport to Engadget: http://www.christiancoquet.com/?p=150
Being german myself I apologize for the behavior of our largest telecommunications company.
But rest assured, they pull such sh*t here as well and, quite frankly, NO ONE likes the Telekom (they also treat their customers like crap).
But seeing that they basically inherited a state monopoly on telecommunications they feel like they can do whatever they want. But that’s crumbling (way too slowly).
[...] via ] April 5, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized — Scott Johnson @ 4:48 [...]
Badly Kept Secret: Veronica Belmont To Host Tekzilla…
Geek chick celebrity Veronic Belmont has signed to co-host Revision3’s Tekzilla show.Belmont resigned from the Mahalo Daily podcast last week after only 5 months, with a relatively cool send off from Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis. Prior to working for C…
The Telekom magenta is a trademark. If everyone else uses it, the trademark wouldn’t make any sense.
David, it’s not even the same color!
[...] as it happened but never thought of posting something about it until I found the above image (and blogpost) over at [...]