By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – A federal judge this month said John Deer owns green and yellow.

The colors together – on any farm or lawn tractor – are famous, the judge said, and Deere can enforce a trademark against any competitor who wants to use green and yellow.

One Illinois brand expert says the new reality of the marketplace demands total attention to your brand.

Illinois State University professor Peter Kaufman is a brand and marketing expert. He said Deere is doing what it has to do in the new marketplace to protect its image.

“I think brand owners have to continually justify and show users why they are paying a premium,” Kaufman said. “I think global competition, to a large extent, is a large reason why you’re going to see those brand owners really dial in and focus like a laser on protecting their brand. Whether it is the color spectrum, or the name, or the logo, or whatever it might be.”

John Deere’s case involved another agriculture company that painted its equipment green and yellow.

The judge in the case said that Deere’s brand is synonymous with the colors green and yellow, and other companies use of the colors infringes on Deere’s trademark.

Kaufman said more companies will likely have to take the same hawkish view of their brand and identity.

“I can’t think of a product category in the U.S. that hasn’t been impacted by global competitors,” he said. “Competitors from Brazil, China, or wherever. I think it shows the heightened awareness and attention to detail that these brand owners are paying to protect their brand.”

Kaufman said companies realize that they have to protect their brand identity in order to prove the brand has value. John Deere is based in Moline in western Illinois along the Iowa border.