Part of the utility of Pantone is not just the color spec but the physical samples they produce that are the actual specifications and standards. They make colo

Part of the utility of Pantone is not just the color spec but the physical samples they produce that are the actual specifications and standards. They make color swatches and cards so that you can see for sure what everyone else will (try) to produce when you say "make this accent piece Pantone 13459 with a matte finish and this bit over here Pantone 9329 with a glossy finish." The utility isn't 100% just in the standard but also in producing those physical instantiations so designers and artists can KNOW what color they're actually specifying and can see it in different lights not just on a screen that might not fully replicate the color. Making all those samples is tougher to do with an open standard, you'd need some certification body/process for a company to make for people to use to satisfy a similar niche as Pantone.