We miss a lot of the fun food fights going on elsewhere in the world sometimes, so it’s always refreshing to hear that U.S. companies aren’t the only ones battling it out over what may seem to be silly points. But purple is a very serious business across the pond for Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate bars.

The company had been trying to keep its competitors away from the hue, like Nestle, but a court overruled an October 2012 decision that had said Cadbury (part of Mondelez International) could keep purple as its distinctive color.

The UK Court of Appeal ruling now allows not only Nestle, but anyone else, to sell chocolate products with that same colored wrapping.

Cadbury first used a mauve hue in 1905 and made the move to purple and gold in 1920, reports Bloomberg. By the time 2008 rolled around Cadbury tried to apply for a color trademark, which is when Nestle was like, “Nope. We want to use purple too, by golly.”

The trademark applied for “lacks the required clarity, precision, self-containment, durability and objectivity to qualify for registration,” the judge said in today’s ruling.

Cadbury is going to consider whether or not to appeal, said the company.

“Our color purple has been linked with Cadbury for a century and the British public has grown up understanding its link with our chocolate,” Cadbury said.

Cadbury’s Purple Reign Ended by U.K. Court in Nestle Appeal [Bloomberg]

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