Starbucks sues Thai coffee seller for intellectual property infringement

If you've ever happened to visit the Bangkok, Thailand-based coffee stall Starbung, you might notice that it looks a little familiar.

Starbucks executives tend to agree.

According to a recent report in the Guardian, the U.S. coffee company has filed a lawsuit against Starbung, claiming that the stall's green-and-white circular emblem, which contains a picture of a man pouring coffee, too closely resembles the recognizable Starbucks logo.

Starbucks filed a cease-and-desist letter last year and also put forward a trademark violation complaint. After suing the owners of Starbung—brothers Damrong and Damras Maslae—for 300,000 baht (almost $10,000), the company even went so far as to call for their arrest.

However, Damrong Maslae, who has reportedly served coffee for 15 years, told the news source that his logo was inspired by Islam, not Starbucks.

"My logo is halal and has a moon and a star, and is green for the color of Islam," he said. "Starbucks has insisted I take out the green and the words star and coffee. I can't do that.

"I roast and mix my own recipe," Maslae added. "English tourists have become friends with me and love my coffee. Every time they come to Bangkok, they visit and buy coffee from me. If they were to read about this drama with Starbucks, they would laugh their heads off."

He told the news source that he would fight Starbucks' allegations.

Though this may be an extreme case, protecting intellectual property is an important matter for any company. That's why they should work with an experienced Phoenix business attorney. 

Categorised in: International Business Law

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