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Starbucks Coffee Company

As part of our mission statement, Starbucks is committed to applying the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery of our coffee, as well as our other distinctive products. With over 6,000 retail locations worldwide, Starbucks is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. In addition to our retail stores, Starbucks produces and sells a bottled Frappuccinocoffee drink and a line of superpremium ice cream through its joint venture partnerships. Starbucks other brands include a line of innovative premium teas from the Tazo TeaCompany and Hear Music compact discs.

Through a significant investment of time, money and other resources, Starbucks has developed a worldwide reputation and our customers have come to view the Starbucks name and logo as symbols upon which they can rely for quality products and service. To protect our reputation for quality, and to assure that our customers get the experience they expect, we are committed to preventing the sale or resale of items that misuse or otherwise infringe our trademarks, copyrights, patents or other proprietary rights, as well as items that have been stolen. We ask for your help in protecting against the sale of items that may be infringing or stolen as well as items that do not meet our rigorous quality control standards. We also refer you to eBay policy on auctions, which prohibits the listing for sale of a variety of items, including stolen property, food whose expiration date has passed, counterfeit goods, certain copyrighted items, and certain trademarked items. http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-items.html, http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-copyright-basics.html and http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-trademark-basics.html.

Before beginning the & Athere are some general issues we would like to address:

Buy with Care. All buyers are encouraged to proceed with caution when purchasing any Starbucks merchandise offered on eBay. Starbucks cannot guarantee the authenticity of any items sold or resold on eBay. We also cannot guarantee that products sold on eBay will meet their original specifications or that they continue to meet our quality or freshness standards. Please also note that many products are warranted only to their original purchasers and that the original product warranty may no longer be valid if that product has been transferred or sold. Additionally, please be aware that some items for sale on eBay may be stolen property. If you suspect an item may be stolen, please contact us using the information provided below.

Unauthorized Use of Starbucks Trademarks. The trademark laws require that a trademark owner prevent unauthorized or potentially confusing uses (or misuses) of its trademarks. This is to ensure that customers are not confused and also allows the trademark owner to prevent dilution or disparagement of its name and reputation. Because we are required to do so by law, and because of our significant investment in our reputation, we take infringement seriously. Counterfeiting and trademark infringement are violations of state and federal laws. We ask that people respect our rights and advise people to seek counsel before engaging in any activity that might violate the trademark rights of Starbucks or any other trademark owner.

The following & Awill highlight examples of items and issues we occasionally encounter, together with an explanation of why we might consider that particular issue to be important. If you have a question not addressed below we ask that you contact the Starbucks legal department at the following email address:

copycat@starbucks.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why was my auction suspended?

A: eBay policy regarding the suspension of auctions offers a general explanation of why an auction may have been suspended, as well as providing detailed information on the VeRO program (eROstands for Verified Rights Ownership). This policy also provides answers to some commonly asked questions regarding an auction that has been stopped. This information can be obtained by clicking on the following link: http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-endauction.html.

There could be a number of reasons why Starbucks stopped the auction. Under United States trademark laws, Starbucks is required to police the use of its trademarks and take action to stop any unauthorized, unlawful and/or misleading uses of those marks. Unauthorized uses include the sale of counterfeit products, the sale of products bearing unauthorized reproductions (or altered versions) of our trademarks, as well as the sale of products that have been lteredor are not uthentic For example, once the freshness or expiration date on a product has passed, it cannot legally be resold under the Starbucks brand name. Starbucks may also take action to stop the resale of stolen property. Starbucks representatives regularly monitor the Internet to address and protect these rights.

Q: Why does Starbucks care if I sell some unauthorized merchandise, such as a T-shirt with something that looks like the Starbucks logo?

A: Starbucks has used versions of its iren Logofor more than a quarter of a century to identify its coffees, teas, brewed coffee beverages and a host of related products and services. The Siren Logo, which is registered as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and as a copyright with the United States Copyright Office, has become one of the best known trademarks in North America and around the world. It is more than a familiar logo, it is a symbol that the public associates with premium products and excellent service. Starbucks has a responsibility to protect that valuable and distinctive symbol from diluting, confusing and misleading uses, all of which can harm the underlying value and reputation of the Siren Logo. As a result, even though it might seem flattering or merely funny, we have to take seriously misuses of the Siren Logo that might tarnish or damage our brand image.

Q: What other logos or names would Starbucks consider infringing?

A: As a general rule, any logo or iteration of the word tarbucksthat would tend to either disparage, confuse or dilute our image in the eyes of the public or confuse consumers may be considered infringing. While these items may be considered funny and innocent, they have the effect of diluting, disparaging and harming a brand name that millions of people across the globe equate with premium service and quality. As the owner of these brands we have a responsibility to monitor and prevent the sale of such items.

Q: I bought some Starbucks coffee a while ago and it is now past the est before date,can I resell it?

A: To say that Starbucks is passionate about selecting, roasting and brewing the best coffee in the world is an understatement. Freshness and taste are key attributes of our brand. Because coffee is a perishable product, once it has passed its freshness date it is no longer considered uthenticand may not be sold as tarbuckscoffee. You can understand how Starbucks reputation is harmed when someone who expects tarbucksquality, instead gets coffee that is stale or dated. To learn more about the process our coffee beans go through and better understand how important this issue is to us, you can click on the following link: http://www.starbucks.com/shop/coffee_edu1.asp?category%5Fname=Coffee+Education

Q: How can I tell if an item for sale is authentic or imitation?

A: As a general matter, all sellers on eBay are responsible for ensuring that an item is legitimate and authorized. Unfortunately, Starbucks cannot guarantee the authenticity of items sold on eBay. If there is a disclaimer next to the item for sale or a description such as an guarantee authenticitythis more than likely indicates that the product is not authorized for resale. With many items, if you are unsure of whether it may legitimately be sold, we suggest contacting Starbucks before proceeding. A quick and easy way of determining whether Starbucks sells an item is to go to our website, www.starbucks.com, where you should be able to find most items that we sell.

Q: How does a potential purchaser go about determining whether an item is considered to be stolen property?

A: There are several categories of items where buyers should exercise caution. First, Starbucks does not sell any of its employee uniforms, nor do we sell any light fixtures, signage, tables, chairs or other furnishings or fixtures used in the stores. If you see such items for sale we encourage you to contact us so we can determine whether this material has been stolen. Second, if someone is selling a large volume of items, there is a good chance that these products were obtained illegally. Again, we encourage you to contact us if you see such high volumes of items being sold. We would also like to remind Starbucks employees that they cannot resell products obtained through the company discount or mark-out programs. All Starbucks employees should refer to their employee policy manual for further information on this topic.

The above page is maintained by: starbuckslegal( 13)

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