Starbucks, Inc., the international coffeehouse, is an aggressive defender of its name as well as the names for its coffees. It has ongoing litigation for infringement:

• A & D Café of Brooklyn, New York, uses the name “Warbucks” for its coffee, and Starbucks has filed suit against the café for dilution of its trade name.

• Sambuck’s Coffee House of Astoria, Oregon, has been sued by Starbucks for dilution. However, the owner of the café is Samantha Buck-Lundberg, and she explains that the name of the café is a play on her name.

• Black Bear Monster Roastery in New Hampshire uses the name “Charbucks Blend” for one of its coffees, and Starbucks has filed suit for disparagement.

• Backwash.com had a link to Starbucks on its website. Starbucks filed suit to have the link removed, which Backwash did, citing “unappreciative” reasons.

• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Co. of Los Angeles has sued Starbucks for trademark infringement for the company’s use of the term “ice blended,” a term that the LA company claims it coined.10

What protections exist for trade names? For trademarks? Do you think there is infringement in these cases?