Langone sues Northwell for purple plagiarism

BY BRANDON DUFFY

NYU Langone filed a lawsuit Thursday against Northwell Health accusing them of imitating their color scheme and using a similar shade of purple in their advertising and buildings to capitalize on Langone’s “substantial investment in its brand.”

Langone, which has a hospital in Mineola, alleges Northwell, based in New Hyde Park, intentionally copied their “unique” color and font in multiple forms of advertising–including billboards and digital ads–to exploit their reputation.

The lawsuit, filed in New York’s Southern District Court, accuses Northwell of engaging in “deceptive trade practices.”

Langone cited its placement in U.S. News & World Report’s 20222023 “Best Hospitals Honor Roll”, the top spot in New York and #3 in the nation, as evidence of its goodwill and reputation that Northwell has not achieved.

The lawsuit, which includes multiple side-by-side comparisons, alleges that Northwell has copied Langone’s advertising and marketing campaigns, color schemes, fonts, headline styles and visual identity.

“Northwell’s conduct is not only unfair, but by hitching its brand to NYU Langone, Northwell has created a likelihood of confusion as to the affiliation, connection, or association of Northwell with NYU Langone, to the detriment and harm of NYU Langone,” the lawsuit said.

Attorneys for Langone claim that Northwell “has bathed” its Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead as the same or nearly the same purple that Langone uses.

Northwell Health’s Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York) Northwell, which has 16 of its 21 hospitals on Long Island, is the state’s largest health care provider with over 85,000 employees.

Ramon Soto, Northwell’s chief marketing and communications officer, told The New York Post they use branding with a wide array of colors.

“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,” Soto told The Post. “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

Director Olga Berest opened the dance studio bearing her name in 1976. Housed in a Dutch colonial home at 12 South Washington St. since 1996, the Berest Dance Studio offers a diverse range of classes from ballet to African dance for toddlers through adults.

In 2021, the dance studio started the Dance for Joy Program, the first of its kind in the studio’s history.

Dance for Joy was started by one of Berest’s dancers who asked if she could organize a 10-week class led by students and taught to underserved kids in the community.

Berest said she was more than happy to go forward with her student’s idea.

“And it’s just snowballed,” Berest said.

The fall Dance for Joy program is designed to be an introductory class. It teaches students the basics of ballet in order to bring them to the level of their age group.

The 10-week program has now expanded into a year-long program, allowing the Dance for Joy students to integrate into the studio’s other classes in November after they finish the intro program.

Berest said the program has been flourishing.

In 2021, 10 students participated in the Dance for Joy program. In 2022, two students continued and 10 new students joined.

This fall, 10 more students will enter the program.

Berest said yearly tuition at her studio costs about $1,000 per student and estimated another $500 in expenses for attire, shoes and tickets.

Dance for Joy offers a full year of tuition at the Berest Dance Studio for free to its participants. Berest said this also encompasses free dance attire, costumes and

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