Starbucks Sues Starbung Coffee Stall
A Thai coffee stall has been sued by Starbucks thanks to its eerily similar green-and-white logo.
The Guardian reports that a coffee stall in Bangkok has been hit with a trademark violation complaint; the green-and-white "Starbung" emblem has a man pouring coffee with the peace sign in the middle of a circle.
"My logo is halal and has a moon and a star, and is green for the color of Islam," owner Damrong Maslae told the Guardian. "Starbucks has insisted I take out the green and the words 'star' and 'coffee.' I can't do that."
Starbucks filed a cease-and-desist letter late last year, and has since filed a a petition with the international trade and central intellectual property court. The company fears that customers will believe they're purchasing Starbucks coffee.
Starbung, however, serves coffee in the Thai style, and Maslae vows to "fight them to the end."