Northwell Health fired back at rival NYU Langone Hospital on Tuesday within the medical behemoths’ legal battle — over using the colour purple.
Northwell urged a federal judge in Manhattan to dismiss Recent York University Langone’s trademark lawsuit against it that claims Northwell has been ripping off NYU’s color scheme, including its purple hue in ads.
NYU Langone filed the suit against Northwell Health in June.
Recent York University is so linked to the colour purple that “violets” is the nickname of its sports team, and the colour is streamed across its web pages, including NYU Langone’s.
“NYU Violet is our principal brand color. It ought to be utilized in every communication and design,” the NYU website says.
“Violet is a particular color that has long been related to the nonconformist who pushes boundaries to depart their mark on the world.”
But Northwell — Recent York’s largest health-care system — counters that NYU is in a delusional purple haze.
“Northwell filed a motion to dismiss NYU Langone’s unfounded lawsuit. NYU Langone doesn’t own a trademark registration for any shade of purple for healthcare services, and its case is predicated on cherry-picking certain pieces of Northwell promoting to make false claims, including an attack on our hospital’s week-long COVID-19 recognition of health care employees,” Northwell said in a press release.
Northwell Health fired back at rival NYU Langone Hospital on Tuesday within the medical behemoths’ legal battle — over using the colour purple.Getty Images
In its 25-page motion to dismiss the suit against it, Northwell Health lawyers said, “NYU Langone makes much of its and Recent York University’s use of the colour purple, or more specifically violet, but doesn’t allege that it owns trademark or other exclusive rights in that color.”
Northwell said it has a history of using a wide range of fonts and colours from its copyright-protected Northwell “Constellation” logo, used to showcase accomplishments in research, education and clinical excellence to “differentiate ourselves from others within the markets — and we have now been doing so since our 2016 rebrand.”
NYU stood its ground Tuesday, accusing Northwell Health of copycatting its ad materials to make purple rain — money — off its popularity.
“Of their motion, Northwell attempts to reduce their brazen copying of NYU Langone’s distinctive and recognizable promoting – including fonts, layouts, and color schemes – to confuse patients, who deserve the perfect care and the perfect outcomes,” said NYU spokesman Steve Ritea.
NYU Langone released images showing Northwell Health similar — if not equivalent — use of purple and teal color schemes in its ad campaigns that it alleges were knockoffs of the identical hues in its ads.
Northwell urged a federal judge in Manhattan to dismiss Recent York University Langone’s trademark lawsuit against it that claims Northwell has been ripping off NYU’s color scheme, including its purple hue in ads.
The 2 medical powerhouses have rival hospitals in key markets in Recent York City and Long Island.
NYU Langone expanded services into Long Island, absorbing the previous Winthrop hospital in Mineola in 2019 and rebranding it as NYU Langone Hospital- Long Island.
Northwell Health’s base is in Long Island and Queens, where greater than half its 21 hospitals positioned there.
Meanwhile, NYU Langone’s primary Tisch hospital and youngsters’s and orthopedic facilities are based in Manhattan’s Kipps Bay and East Village neighborhoods.
Northwell Health operates Lenox Hill hospital on the Upper East Side.
“It’s no coincidence that this shameless mimicry began as NYU Langone substantially grew on Long Island, posing a perceived threat within the region,” NYU Langone’s Ritea said.
