This is Not Mocha Mousse

This is definitely not Mocha Mousse (Pantone 17-1230)

The color you’re seeing in this image may look like Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse. It might even share the same hexadecimal value, straight from Pantone’s official Connect platform. But it’s not Mocha Mousse.

Why not?

Because unless you’ve licensed Pantone’s color system, or are using tools that have, you can’t officially use that color in design work. And for businesses, that distinction matters.

Wait, What Is Mocha Mousse?

Every year, Pantone selects a Color of the Year that captures the cultural moment. In 2024, it was Peach Fuzz (Pantone 13-1023). For 2025, it’s Mocha Mousse (Pantone 17-1230).

Pantone doesn’t just pick colors - it standardizes them. Historically, names like “Robin’s Egg Blue” or “Cerulean” could mean different things depending on the medium, lighting, or materials. That inconsistency posed a real problem for industries that rely on precise color reproduction, like print, fashion, and branding.

Enter Pantone

Pantone solved this with its Matching System: a proprietary catalog of named and numbered colors, offered in both analog and digital formats. Since the 1980s, it’s licensed its libraries to companies like Adobe, Microsoft, HP, and Canon, and has evolved with mobile apps and SaaS tools like Pantone Connect, which provide access to its official Color Libraries.

For businesses needing consistent color, Pantone is the industry standard. But it’s not free.

Why This Color Isn’t Mocha Mousse

Even though copyright law lets me write about Pantone’s color system, I can’t use Mocha Mousse as a design element on a website or in commercial materials unless I license the color through Pantone or use a product that does so (for example, Adobe Photoshop).

The Pantone Connect “About” page spells it out:

On screen digital color simulations may not match the physical PANTONE Color Standards… This information is for personal and non-commercial use only… [The Terms] prohibit copying, linking, or storing for any business purpose.

So yes, you can technically take the RGB values and call the color something else - say, “Wilftek Chocolate Pudding.” But then it’s not Mocha Mousse. The value of Pantone is its role as a shared reference point - and it charges accordingly.

Even Adobe, which has worked with Pantone for decades, eventually balked at Pantone’s cost. After a licensing dispute in 2022, Adobe added an $89.99 annual fee for Creative Cloud users to access the Pantone catalog. According to an Ars Technica article, designers who didn’t pay found their Pantone colors changed to black.

Other Licensing Challenges: What About Fonts?

This reminds me of what happened with fonts. In the 1990s, fonts were widely available. Today, most commercial fonts are owned by a few players like Monotype, Adobe, and Google, and businesses pay ongoing license fees to these companies. While there are alternatives, such as independent foundries, Google Fonts, or the Open Font Library, businesses that use a wide variety of fonts may have less flexibility.

If you’re using fonts for branding, ask yourself:

• Do you have the right license?

• Can you use the font for commercial printing or logo design?

• What happens if your provider changes pricing or goes under?

Big brands like Coca-Cola or Microsoft almost certainly own or license their logo fonts outright. You might want to consider doing the same.

What Are the Alternatives?

If Pantone’s licensing model doesn’t suit your needs, there are both digital and physical alternatives to explore. Some options include:

• Swatchos

• Spot Matching System (Spot-Nordic)

• Freetone

• Project BBCG (A Better Brand Color Guide)

I’m not endorsing any of these; just sharing what’s out there. Your mileage may vary.

Final Thoughts

If color and font choices are vital to your business, think long-term:

• Are you licensing your assets properly?

• What alternatives exist?

• How will your business adapt if a provider raises prices or shuts down?

Talk to experienced tech and intellectual property lawyers (like Wilftek!) early in the process. It can save you time, stress, and money down the road.