6 March 2008
Addis Ababa — Ethiopia has won trademark rights for its specialty Sidamo coffee in the United States, the intellectual property office said on Wednesday, seen as a witness to successful completion of the row with US coffee giant Starbucks.
Ethiopia, Africa's largest coffee producer had a protracted tussle with Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) last year over the use of its three specialty coffee brands- Harar, Yirgachefe, and Sidamo coffees- in the United States "Ethiopia was forced to wait for years to secure the certificate...but now the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has confirmed that Ethiopia is the sole owner of the Sidamo coffee trademark," the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) said in a statement.
Ethiopia has already secured trademark rights for Yirgacheffee coffee in the United States.
Starbucks and Ethiopia agreed to end their dispute in November 2007.
Ethiopia has filed an application for trademark rights for its Harar coffee, the statement said.
It said Ethiopia had signed agreements with more than 70 global companies to promote its coffees.
Coffee is one of the most highly traded commodities in the world, second only to oil. The trade of coffee generates $80 billion every year in the global market, and that amount is growing.
Ethiopia's annual production is estimated at over 330,000 tonnes. It plans to generate $500 million by exporting over 140,000 tonnes of coffee in 2008.
Ethiopia is recognized as the historic birthplace of coffee and the source of some of the finest coffee in the world.
The coffee crisis is only one fragment of the many crises including political conditions that have crippled economic growth in developing nations, especially in Africa. Compounding the problems is the rising brain-drain of African professionals (skilled and non-skilled) to the Middle East, Europe, and North America in search of better opportunity.
In February 2006, Ethiopia offered Starbucks a royalty-free license to use the names in exchange for giving Ethiopia ownership over the names. Starbucks rejected the offer.
In June 2006, the National Coffee Association of USA (NCA), on behalf of Starbucks, filed a letter of protest to stop Ethiopia's trademark application from being further processed. Ethiopia was engaged in long-lasting raw with Starbucks ever since.
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Congratulations Ethiopia, but instead of wasting millions of dollars to American lawyers in American institutions and courts, bickering with American corporations for nothing more than a "commercial label", while desperately begging for American "famine aid", it would have been great if Ethiopia learns how to feed it's own ever starving people. When did common sense, accountability, responsibility and obligation to serve the people disappeared from Ethiopian vocabulary? Lord have mercy on Ethiopia.
May God forgive you Gerriel ijam for your insesnsiblity. I just want to say if you know history every nation had passed through famine or prosperity. Now it is your turn and time to boast there will come a time when some people harvest what they sow. Remember the principle of harvesting what you sow. If you live long you will see that. Depression and II world war were just our yesterday's history. All riches most of the times based on exploitation of African natuaral resources gold and diamonds. (Colonialism and slavery what is to be proud of if some… [Read Full Text]
No No, "Lord have mercy on you brother", because you are the one who need help than Ethiopia. I am tired of people who flip and manipulate the coin to give one side of the story, one which is always negative. What about the positive things Ethiopia is doing? You mean they don't count?
So what are you saying brother? Are you saying Ethiopia should sell its soul to survive? Do you know how much it means for Ethiopia to win this legal battle? In the long run Ethiopia is going to get bigger returns, much more than what they… [Read Full Text]
No No, "Lord have mercy on you brother", because you are the one who need help than Ethiopia. I am tired of people who flip and manipulate the coin to give one side of the story, one which is always negative. What about the positive things Ethiopia is doing? You mean they don't count?
So what are you saying brother? Are you saying Ethiopia should sell its soul to survive? Do you know how much it means for Ethiopia to win this legal battle? In the long run Ethiopia is going to get bigger returns, much more than what they… [Read Full Text]
I am a US coffee nut, I purchase single origin green beans and roast them myself. I have not had Ethiopian Sidamo coffee, but Yergacheffe and Harar are two of my favorite coffees. Both are spectacular, and easily as deserving of trademark protection as Hawaiin Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain. My hope is that having that trademarked name recognition will help grow the demand for the genuine article and that it opens up markets for Ethiopian growers. Personally, I would rather see Ethiopian growers continue to focus on improving the yields and qualities of their spectacular coffees… [Read Full Text]
Congratulations Ethiopia, but instead of waiting millions of dollars to American lawyers in American institutions and courts, bickering with American corporations for nothing more than a "commercial label", while desperately begging for American "famine aid", it would have been great if Ethiopia learns how to feed it's own ever starving people. When did common sense, accountability, responsibility and obligation to serve the people disappeared from Ethiopian vocabulary? Lord have mercy on Ethiopia.