CoorsTek Bioceramics, a leading supplier of implantable ceramic components for orthopaedic devices, has further established its right to market and sell its pink ceramic hip components in the European Union after the French Supreme Court ruled in favor of CoorsTek in its trademark dispute with CeramTec GmbH. The decision upholds the cancellation of three CeramTec trademarks by the Paris court of appeal, holding that CeramTec filed for trademarks of its pink components in bad faith, knowing the pink color was not simply a brand indicator.
This case follows a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to decline review in a similar legal action, effectively ending CeramTec’s efforts to claim trademark rights to the color pink for ceramic hip components in the United States. The French ruling paves the way for CoorsTek to compete more broadly in the EU market with its Permallon® components, which are used in total joint arthroplasty and other implantable devices.
CoorsTek Bioceramics, a wholly owned subsidiary of CoorsTek, Inc., has over 110 years of technical ceramics expertise and has sold more than six million components for clinical use since 2005. The company’s components are also found in neurological, cardiological, spinal, and radiation applications. The French Supreme Court’s decision removes a significant legal hurdle, allowing CoorsTek to focus on manufacturing and distributing its ceramic hip components to medical device customers in Europe.
