Can you own a color? Well, Anish Kapoor does—or at least, he exclusively owns the right to use one of the blackest materials ever made: Vantablack.
Developed and patented by Surrey NanoSystems, Vantablack is a substance so dark it absorbs 99.96% of visible light. It’s created using a cutting-edge process that grows microscopic carbon nanotubes, which trap light like a black hole. While the technology was originally intended for scientific and military applications, its artistic use stirred controversy when Kapoor secured exclusive rights, sparking debates about whether such innovations should belong to one person or be available to all.
I found this interesting because it blurs the line between art, technology, and ownership. Vantablack isn’t just a color—it is a breakthrough in material science. Yet, through intellectual property and exclusive licensing, it has become part of a broader conversation about creativity and control.
Kapoor’s exclusive access raises questions about the ethics of monopolizing a material that could inspire countless artists and designers. Should such a revolutionary creation be reserved for one individual, or should it be democratized for broader creative use? This tension between innovation and accessibility is at the heart of intellectual property law and is particularly fascinating when applied to something as intangible as a color—or, in this case, the absence of one.
Read more here! https://abion.com/trademark-new-black
Copyright & Social Media
Communications Law
Thank you for the post! As a side note, artist Stuart Semple has released a matte black paint (black 2.0) that anyone except Anish Kapoor can use, which I thought was hilarious. The disclaimer says “this is not the blackest black in the world. It is however a better black than the blackest black in the world, as it is actually usable by artists.”
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vantablack-vs-black-superblack-907556
Thank you for the post! Artist Stuart Semple has released a matte black paint (black 2.0) that anyone except Anish Kapoor can use, which I thought was hilarious. The disclaimer says “this is not the blackest black in the world. It is however a better black than the blackest black in the world, as it is actually usable by artists.”
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vantablack-vs-black-superblack-907556