Cartoon stick figure holding a green-gold colored press pad near a laundry press machine — representing a blog post about the Qualitex Green-Gold color mark trademark registration.

Trademark: Qualitex Green-Gold

First Used: 1957

First Registered: 1991

Current Owner: QUALITEX COMPANY [1]

Trademark Type: non-traditional trademark; trade dress; color mark

Primarily Associated With: machine parts; namely, press pads and covers for press pads for commercial and industrial presses [2]

Brief (and likely incomplete) History [3]:

The Qualitex Green-Gold color mark is an important piece of trademark history. It is one of the oldest, still-active color mark registrations in the United States. This color mark is also a primary reason that color marks exist today: it was the trademark registration at issue in the landmark Supreme Court case Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co., 514 U.S. 159 (1995), in which the Supreme Court held that a single color can function as a trademark if it has acquired distinctiveness (i.e., consumers have grown to recognize the color as a brand-identifier). Today, the Qualitex Green-Gold color mark is one of the most famous examples of non-traditional trademarks in U.S. law, cited often in discussions about color trademarks and the boundaries of protectable brand elements.

Qualitex Company is a California-based manufacturer known primarily for producing press pads, covers, and related products used in the dry cleaning and garment pressing industries. These pads are integral to the operation of commercial pressing machines, helping ensure clothes are finished smoothly and professionally. Founded in the mid-20th century, Qualitex has long served a niche but important role in the garment care sector.

The distinctive Qualitex Green-Gold color mark used on its press pads and covers became a hallmark of the brand. Qualitex began using this color in the 1950s, selecting it for a practical yet strategic reason: the shade did not show dirt or stains easily, which is important for industrial products that endure heavy use. Over time, however, the Qualitex Green-Gold color mark took on a secondary meaning and customers began associating the color specifically with Qualitex products.