Starbucks prevails in suit over lookalike bongs
Reprints
There will be less confusion for marijuana smokers who also happen to enjoy Starbucks signature iced beverages.
This after a federal judge on Friday ruled in favor of Starbucks Corp. in a trademark and copyright infringement lawsuit that found that an Oregon designer created a spoof glass bong that too closely resembled Starbucks’ style for its popular frappuccino, according to a ruling out of the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
The suit was filed in June over Oregon artist James Landgraf’s creation: a marijuana smoking device with a Christmas green straw in a glass vessel with a logo that reads “Dabuccino” in white block letters around a long-haired goddess, all similar to Starbucks’ with the exception of her headdress, which in Mr. Landgraf’s creation featured marijuana leaves.
In the suit, Starbucks claimed that the artist “willfully intended to create an association with the Starbucks Marks and to capitalize upon the success and popularity of the Starbucks Marks to sell (their) products…” and “…has caused and will continue to cause irreparable injury and damage to Starbucks Corp.’s business, reputation, and goodwill.”
It demanded that the artist and the internet-based company that sells the devices — Hitman Glass, which is no longer online — turn over their profits from the bongs and pay damages and attorneys’ fees.
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