NYU Langone is suing Northwell Health over a shade of purple.

The lawsuit alleges the New Hyde Park-based Northwell turned to nearly identical advertising that confuses the two competitors.

NYU Langone says its "distinct purple color" has been used for a century in their branding

The lawsuit says Northwell began to copy similar accent colors and fonts after NYU made a push into Long Island in 2019.

The lawsuit is seeking damages, attorney fees and a permanent injunction barring Northwell from "confusingly similar advertising." 

“NYU Langone’s claim that it owns the color purple for health care services is nothing short of preposterous. And it’s an insult that part of the complaint includes a hospital’s Code Lavender COVID-19 memorial. Northwell Health is proud of its distinct branding, which uses a wide variety of colors, and how it leverages research, education and clinical excellence to differentiate from others in the market. Northwell is much more than just a color in our ads,” said Ramon Soto, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Northwell.”