Intellectual Property Law

Starbucks Trademark Dispute Brewing Over Mr. Rainier Coffee Logo?

By Michael Atkins

I’ve heard rumblings about this but can’t get any confirmation. Is Starbucks suing a Japanese coffee company with a green-and-white concentric circle logo? That’s what this post from February 2006 — repackaged in another blog’s post this week — suggests:

“Starbucks is also suing Japan’s Mt. Rainier Espresso & Milk for copyright infringement. Mt. Rainier is a mountain in Seattle, which is the home of Starbucks. The Mt. Rainier logo of the Japanese company resembles the Starbucks logo.”

A Mt. Rainier coffee commercial features Scarlett Johansen and
a green-and-white concentric circle logo.

I assume the author means that Starbucks is suing Mt. Rainier for trademark infringement, given the context of the post. However, I haven’t been able to find anything else about this suit, if there even is one. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is (or was), given the the similarity between the designs and Starbucks’ vigilance in policing its mark. (Take the filing of its notice to extend time to oppose registration of Seattle’s Rat City Rollergirls’ logo, for example.)

That would be interesting, as Mt. Rainier apparently is no small-time player in the Japanese beverage market. Its commercials featuring Scarlett Johansen suggest financial muscle. (Click here to view two such commercials, one of which less interestingly also features the Seattle skyline.)

If anyone knows about this dispute — if there even is one — please share!

Full post as published by Seattle Trademark Lawyer on June 19, 2008 (boomark / email).