Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Starbucks v. Doubleshot Coffee Co.

I'm not sure if you all have heard about this. I know some of you don't like going into the store (problems with the owner). But that doesn't change the fact that they have the absolute best coffee in Tulsa, and maybe even the world. This whole situation (read on) makes me so angry. They won't stop until they put every single independent coffee house out of business.

This is a copy of the email that I recieved from Brian on Tuesday...

It's true. I received a letter last week informing me that I am infringing on a trademark that Starbucks has had since 2001, "Starbuck's Doubleshot." The lawyers advised me to cease using the DoubleShot Coffee Company name, to shut down my website (http://www.DoubleShotCoffee.com), and to destroy everything I have which bears the "DoubleShot" name. Come read the letter yourself-- it's framed and hanging on the wall, over the garbage can.

At first I frowned, then I smiled, then I laughed, then I experienced a little anger and fear, and then I went back to vengeance and irritable laughter. As you know, I don't take kindly to people telling me what to do. After briefly discussing the matter with my lawyer, and a gaggle of other lawyers who regularly patronize DoubleShot (my DoubleShot, not the can at the gas station), I don't think Starbucks has a leg to stand on. Doubleshot is a generic industry term for two shots of espresso. They have no exclusive rights to it. But they will try to scare me and lawyer me out of business if we give them the opportunity.

So today, as a legal clarification, I would like everyone to know that we are not Starbuck's Doubleshot. If we tricked you into coming in here, thinking you could get a can of Starbuck's DoubleShot here, please let me know. And if you thought that $2 Tuesday was a sale on Starbuck's Doubleshot, I vehemently apologize for the confusion and ask you to please not come in here anymore because stupid people annoy me.

On the other hand, if you are brilliant enough to seek out a pound of fresh-roasted DoubleShot coffee, you will be rewarded today. Come in anytime today for $2 Tuesday, and receive a $2 discount on every pound of oh-so-tasty-coffee you purchase.

We don't have any cans of Starbuck's Doubleshot here, but we do have the freshest coffee on the planet!

Please tell as many people as you can about this outrageous Starbucks chicanery. We figure that the more publicity and public indignation we stir up, the better chance we will have at standing up against this evil corporate empire.

There is also a podcast.
http://www.DoubleShotCoffee.com/aacafe
or on iTunes (search for "AA Cafe" in the music store).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i wonder if he would think it funny if i asked him if i could please have a "starbucks double shot" tonight. (i doubt it)

Defy Corporate Dominance.

Annie said...

Doesn't everybody hate Starbucks yet? Do they even have any customers left?

I guess they are getting desperate...