Starbucks Corporation v. Sardarbuksh Coffee & Co.

"Global coffee giant brews a win in trademark battle"

Overview :

This case gained widespread attention as it involved Starbucks, a global brand, against a local Delhi-based café named Sardarbuksh. Starbucks alleged infringement, claiming the Indian café's name and logo imitated their brand, potentially misleading customers and taking unfair advantage of its reputation.

Facts & Findings :

• Starbucks owns the globally known “Starbucks” brand with its twin-tailed mermaid logo.

• Sardarbuksh was operating with a similar-sounding name and used green color schemes and design elements that resembled Starbucks’ branding.

• The visual and phonetic similarities were enough to cause confusion among average consumers, especially in urban settings where Starbucks has a strong presence.

• The defendant initially changed the name to “Sardarji-Bakhsh” but still retained confusing branding elements.

Suggestion :

Companies must be particularly careful not to mimic globally recognized brands, as this not only invites legal trouble but may also damage consumer trust. Courts are inclined to protect well-known marks even if they're not locally dominant.

Judgment :

⦁ Date : August 1, 2018

⦁ The Delhi High Court acknowledged the deceptive similarity and restrained the defendants from using the “Sardarbuksh” name and related branding.

⦁ The matter was amicably settled later, with the Indian café chain rebranding to “Sardarji-Bakhsh” and adjusting its logo and trade dress to remove confusion.