Starbucks vs Ethiopia

Timeline Chronological order of major events in the Starbucks vs. Ethiopia dispute over coffee names 2004: Starbucks filed application to register “Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo” trademark. Ethiopia asked Starbucks to drop its application because the country is preparing to register the names Sidamo and Harar; Starbucks refused to talk 2005 March : The Government of Ethiopia filed applications with USPTO to trademark Harrar, Harar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe 2006*: NCA filed a letter of protest asking Ethiopia's application to register all the names be denied. Starbucks then drop its application for “Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo” but continued to ignore Ethiopia's call to discuss. Ethiopia's application for Yirgacheffe trademark has been granted; members of the contesting party expressed their regrets for lack of preparations to block it. Ethiopia continued to seek Starbucks' voluntary agreement acknowledging the country's ownership of the names Sidamo and Harar 2006 October: Oxfam and 85,000 Starbucks customers asked Starbucks to come to the table to discuss and sign a Licensing Agreement with Ethiopia acknowledging Ethiopia's ownership of the names Sidamo and Harar 2006 November: Oxford Professor offered an independent view and analysis concluding that Starbucks should help Ethiopians to dig themselves out of poverty by allowing them to participate meaningfully in the value chain, not deny them the means to do so (read here) 2006 December: Starbucks Employees Union asked Starbucks to honor its commitment to the coffee farmers (read here) 2006 December 16: Starbucks Day of Action took the public campaign to a new phase. Activists from Ethiopian community, regional Fair Trade coalitions, University students, and consumer groups took the campaign to doorsteps of Starbucks coffee houses engaging employees and consumers with discussions over Starbucks' refusal to allow Ethiopian farmers to trademark their own coffee names. Analysts say, the campaign is turning the public dispute