A Missouri bar owner received a cease and desist letter from Starbucks for using the franchise coffee chain's frappicinco for a beer name ABC News reported.
"It has recently come to Starbucks Coffee Co.'s attention that Exit 6 Pub and Brewery LLC is or was using the mark Frappicino in connection with a stout-style beer crafted by the brewery," the company's lawyers told owner Jeff Britton in a letter ABC reported.
"I was kind of just shocked that they were wasting their time and resources on something like this," Britton told ABCNews.com. "I thought it was funny."We never made a drink called this. The beverage is made of famous beer's at the bar, vanilla creme ale, and some coffee stout according to information from ABC News. "It's delicious, but like I said, it's not something we made. It's just a blend of beers."
Exit 6 put a drink on the menu under the name, F word, resembling the Starbuck's Frappicino drink with beer ABC News reported. The drink sold out in three hours and was not re-supplied.
Britton then composed a letter back to Starbucks indicating they were not using the name ABC reported.
"As you probably don't know, Exit 6 is the proud owner of no trademarks including our own name much less than the name 'F Word' and nothing about Exit 6 is incontestable," Britton said in the letter. "We never thought that our beer drinking customers would have thought that the alcoholic beverage coming out of the tap would have actually been coffee from one of the many, many, many stores located a few blocks away. We just want to help a business like Starbucks. Us small business owners need to stick together.
Britton's $6 check, he gave to the company in the letter, will not be cashed ABC News reported.
"This was a respectful request that they stop using the word Frappicino," Laurel Harper, a spokeswoman at Starbucks told ABC News. "Just like many business, trademark law requires all companies, including Starbucks, to consistently protect its brand. We always prefer to resolve trademark disputes informally and amicably whenever possible, and we appreciate Exit 6 Pub and Brewery respecting our request to avoid confusion among customers."
