Judge okays Red Cross use of red cross

NEW YORK In a decision late Wednesday, Judge Jed Rakoff of the United States District Court said the Congressional charter for the Red Cross gave it the right to use the symbol—a Greek red cross against a white background—even for business purposes.

Last August, Johnson & Johnson, who shares the symbol with the Red Cross as part of an agreement signed in 1895, sued the Red Cross for commercializing the symbol by licensing it to other companies for use on commercial items sold in stores as part of the organization’s fund-raising program.

“The fact that the ultimate purpose of these licensing activities is a ‘charitable purpose’—i.e. to raise funds that A.R.C., a not-for-profit organization, can utilize for its charitable endeavors—only further emphasizes their legitimacy,” his decision said.

This was the second time that the judge ruled in favor of the Red Cross.

While some claims in the case remain unresolved, including the accusation that the Red Cross purposely interfered with two of the company’s business partners, the Red Cross all but declared victory on Thursday.