Why CJ Olive Young’s ‘Olive Green’ Color Trademark Could Revolutionize Brand Protection in Asia

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[The Public=Reporter Yoo Su-jin] CJ Olive Young has filed to register its signature shade, “Olive Green,” as a color trademark for cosmetics and other retail categories. Following moves by Haribo and CheongKwanJang to claim single colors as exclusive corporate assets, this step appears aimed at protecting the color itself as a brand asset as Olive Young expands globally.

According to an exclusive MoneyToday report on the 6th and industry sources, Olive Young has applied to register Olive Green as a color trademark covering cosmetics and related retail services. The company says the move is meant to safeguard the color as a brand asset and boost its intellectual property (IP) posture. It also reflects a broader trend: as counterfeit products and copycat stores increase, firms are extending protection to nontraditional assets like colors.

Color trademarks are tough to win. Authorities grant them only when a single color or a specific color combination can, by itself, identify a brand. If approved, the color effectively becomes an exclusive brand asset within the registered industry.

Because a color trademark can limit others’ color choices, the requirements are strict. Applicants must show that consumers recognize the brand by color alone, and colors that serve a functional role—such as signaling product quality or use—typically don’t qualify. Those limits make domestic approvals rare.

To date, South Korea has approved just two color trademarks: Haribo’s gold and CheongKwanJang’s red-black-gold combination. Single-color approvals are virtually unheard of, underscoring how high the bar remains.

Olive Green is central to Olive Young’s brand identity. Since launching in 1999, the company has used the same shade consistently across store exteriors and interiors, lighting, shopping bags, gift packaging and its mobile app. Tens of millions of customers encounter the color online and in stores each year, building recognition strong enough that the shade alone evokes the brand.

The filing also serves as a strategic defense for global expansion.

With more counterfeit products and lookalike stores copying Korean brands, companies are increasingly protecting nontraditional elements like colors and designs. A registered color trademark can limit the use of that color by other businesses in the same sector, making it a powerful brand-protection tool.

The examination process offers standard and expedited tracks. The standard review takes about 10–12 months; if an expedited review is granted, a decision can come in 2–3 months. Industry watchers are paying attention to whether Olive Young will seek the fast track, given its rapid growth.

Observers say Olive Young has a solid shot at meeting the distinctiveness test, thanks to its long-running color marketing and dominant offline presence.

An Olive Young spokesperson called the filing “a first step to formalize 27 years of accumulated brand assets and customer experience,” and added that the company aims to “further strengthen our brand identity and competitiveness in global markets.”