0Taipan0

*old post I know, but to clarify... The name Starbuck and Star Buck are both in public domain. They cannot be copyright protected any more than the name David Smith or Ironsides can be copyrighted (Ironsides was the name of an old battleship, the TV show took it from that, so they can't actually "own" Ironsides). StarbuckS with the "S" on the otherhand changes the game. Especially if the name is used with a coffee product. I lived five years in mainland China (2001-2006) when Starbucks first arrived there. It was astounding! The new Chinese middle class made it nearly impossible for people to get a seat, it was so popular. It was not long however, when copy coffee stores popped up around the city (I was in Guangzhou--Canton to you unwashed--a city of over 12 million), and darn if they didn't name it "Star Buck". Starbucks couldn't sue them; oh they tried, but you see, in China, things work a bit differently. Lawyers in China cited that the name Star Buck was already in public domain, as it is a character in a popular TV show, "Battlestar Galactica". Also, the Chinese cafes named Star Buck was indeed a full blown cafe, with a very nice menu of sandwiches, soups and desserts. They sold coffee, tea, and soft drinks. Coffee was not their main thing. Starbucks lost, and we all cheered. I love China.