Bangkok: Starbucks demands arrests in IP case

[cmsally]

Had to read about this!

Here's some more info and a pic

http://bk.asia-city.com/city-living/article/interview-damrong-maslae

You know if Starbucks were really smart they would give him a new cart with a new logo. Get loads of publicity out of it and not have to pay all these damn lawyers.

[sprq]

The only ones, that should be arrested here, are the bosses of Starbucks for overcharging the brown liquid, they call coffee!!

Actually you cn do what I do and don't go there. It is not a crime when the customers are willing and able to spend a lot.

Or do what I do: sit there in comfortable furniture with good music and cool air, use the wifi, read the papers and magazines, and buy nothing. Starbucks is fine as long as you don't buy anything. Join me.

[RubbaJohnny]

Starbucks sucks but who cares. A lot of thai chicks go there to be seen. Maybe I drink shit everytime I am there but I also get laid. You always take the good with the bad.

Are you sure you are not confusing with Starsucks,they operate a tart u like funchise orf suckemfit

[hansnl]

Starbucks need to get over themselves and extract their head from their collective corporate arse.

The only humorous thing Starbucks is hearing Americans rave on about how good the coffee is. Most of the world wouldn't even degrease their car engines with the stuff.

When, or I might say if, have the urge th have a coffee at Starbucks, I will make certain I have my Omeprazole on me.

[virtualtraveller]

I can't see this as anything but an own goal of negative publicity by Starbucks. Fining two old timers a year's worth of income, in their attempt to avoid people seeking out a cup of coffee that doesn't cost the equivalent of 4 pad thais.

[h90]

Isn't imitation considered the highest form of flattery?

Starbucks the U.S. coffee chain should pay the men THB.300,000 plus interest for the publicity they have generated for Starbucks.

Just check out the business ethics of Starbucks, indeed somewhat lacking in ethics.

Sony tries to sue small shops for amounts like 500K Euro, but are ready to settle for 20-40K if you tell all supplier and customer and sign that you keep all confident.

The lawyer company get a share of the fee.

Or Ferrari which was upset that some Thais copied a Ferrari for fun (they didn't sell it). Instead of sue them, I would gave them a job for fast prototype making.

These huge companies are often very ugly.....

[chezy86]

Overpriced under taxed monopolising call them what you will but we keep going in and paying the price just wish I came up with the idea of charging £5 for 20 pence worth of liquid "outstanding".

[realenglish1]

actually I do not like the taste of Starbucks Coffee way too bitter Tastes like old coffee But people pretend to like it so they can be "HIP"

Actually Mr. Donut has great coffee and at 75% less money

[thhMan]

Whether you like starbucks or not is not the question.

These 2 bozos are riding on someones back to make money, without compensation. Thats just wrong.

Are these 2 so devoid of original thinking?

[AbuBacon]

Starbucks serves poor coffee. Boycot the charlatans I say. In this case somchai the coffee man must surely win. Unless of course the courts take a bung....

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[siampolee]

Just finished rooting around the book shelves at home and I found the book I was looking for among the 1000 or so I have.

The title is " Starbucked.'' A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine Commerce and Culture.''

It is a very insightful look into the delightfully dubious business ethics of Starbucks. Well worth reading.

One could almost describe Starbucks as the Costra Nostra of the coffee vending world.

[tirekicker]

Starbucks was just upset that their competitor's coffee tasted better.

Sent from my Atari 2600

Hilarious

[quiksilva]

FINED

[sprq]

The only ones, that should be arrested here, are the bosses of Starbucks for overcharging the brown liquid, they call coffee!!

Overcharging is when you agree to a price beforehand and then charge a higher price later.

What Starbucks does is called selling coffee.

No, it's called selling mediocre coffee at ridiculously high prices which you even have to fetch yourself.

[phuket43]

Maybe if Starbucks were a bit more transparent about paying their taxes they might have got a smidgeon more compassion from me (well actually no they wouldn't).

I haven't tried Starbung Coffee but if it's anything like the local grown and brewed Thai Coffee I regularly drink, they've got my vote, rather than that overpriced watery muck they sell at Starbucks.

Should anyone with a conscience still support Starbucks when they come with official guff like this?

Q: Why does Starbucks not pay tax in the UK?

A: Starbucks pays a range of taxes in the UK, but it is true that we have not paid a meaningful amount of corporation tax. Corporation tax is based on the profits a company makes. We have found making a profit in the UK difficult and therefore have not been in a position to pay much corporation tax. http://www.starbucks.co.uk/our-commitment

They have only paid 8.6m GBP corporation tax in the UK over 14 years and nothing in the last four years - despite sales of £400m last year. The Managing Director got a 90% pay rise - I wonder why. Creative Accounting 101.

Difficult to make a profit, my ass!

On top of that, they extort the coffee growers to no end.

[SiggiCM]

how can a company who did pay less than 2% tax of their turnover to the society ask a goverment institution for help?

Tell the company´s like Apple, Starbucks, VW, and so on, START PAYING TAX where you earn your money and then you can expact help from institution who are paid my tax money.

may be George Lukas should take them to court also for copying his brand

[CIHUAHUA]

Suck it up Starbucks! and close some more of your crappy coffee shops, the yuppies are on their way out.

[dao16]

Starbucks need to get over themselves and extract their head from their collective corporate arse.

The only humorous thing Starbucks is hearing Americans rave on about how good the coffee is. Most of the world wouldn't even degrease their car engines with the stuff.

Oh, if only that were the case. It's hard to have a meeting abroad without being dragged into a starbucks. Asians love it. Apparently it is catching on in Europe (how, I have no idea). Unfortunately, foreigners seem to love that crap coffee as much as Americans, and, in many cases, are willing to pay more for it....go figure.

[slipperylobster]

This spoils my idea for a coffee vendor cart with side orders of insects. I was going to call it "Star-Bugs" !

[slipperylobster]

Starbucks need to get over themselves and extract their head from their collective corporate arse.

The only humorous thing Starbucks is hearing Americans rave on about how good the coffee is. Most of the world wouldn't even degrease their car engines with the stuff.

Oh, if only that were the case. It's hard to have a meeting abroad without being dragged into a starbucks. Asians love it. Apparently it is catching on in Europe (how, I have no idea). Unfortunately, foreigners seem to love that crap coffee as much as Americans, and, in many cases, are willing to pay more for it....go figure.

No need to figure....the numbers speak for themselves. Adios black, muddy euro-cafe !

[dcsw53]

I think Starbucks have taken exactly the right course of action.

Starbung's is better tasting and you do not have to wait 15 minutes to get it. Their overheads are lower and they got a sense of humour. They might even pay taxes ( sorry Starbucks get someone to explain this concept to you ) which would differentiate them in another way.

Quite understandable that Starbucks have donned their brown trousers and headed for court, with competition like this their days could be numbered.

[lomatopo]

I think the large retailing conglomerate, Central Pattana (Group) (CPN on the SET), owns the Starbucks franchise here so maybe best to direct indignation towards them?

[phantomfiddler]

The only ones, that should be arrested here, are the bosses of Starbucks for overcharging the brown liquid, they call coffee!!

Right on ! The two worst cups of coffe I ever bought were from a starbucks in Bangkok and another one in Chengdu. Both highly priced and notable by their absence of that one vital ingredient ... COFFEE ! Just cups of hot water with an extremely faint brown tinge. They got me twice, shame on me ! Never again.

[teatree]

What idiot would confuse the two?

As long as someone isn't fooled into thinking they are getting something they're not there is no problem.

[kwaussie]

Hated Starbucks when they refused to give water unless paying to desperate survivor's from 9/11 Twin Towers disaster and have since shown they are unethical

[dao16]

Starbucks need to get over themselves and extract their head from their collective corporate arse.

The only humorous thing Starbucks is hearing Americans rave on about how good the coffee is. Most of the world wouldn't even degrease their car engines with the stuff.

Oh, if only that were the case. It's hard to have a meeting abroad without being dragged into a starbucks. Asians love it. Apparently it is catching on in Europe (how, I have no idea). Unfortunately, foreigners seem to love that crap coffee as much as Americans, and, in many cases, are willing to pay more for it....go figure.

No need to figure....the numbers speak for themselves. Adios black, muddy euro-cafe !

I don't like Starbucks, but their reaction is normal. I think their coffee is drinkable, but I can get better for less and could do in the US until Starbucks all but killed local cafes.

What drives me nuts, though, is when people use this as some platform to gripe about America or Americans. Starbucks aren't the own company that does this.

But the most ironic thing is that THEY LOVE IT. I know for a fact that McDonald's is making more abroad than in the US. I don't eat McDo unless I am on a road trip in the US and there is nothing else. The French, in particular, love MacDonald's about as much as they like complaining about it. I wouldn't doubt if KFC makes more abroad than in the US....I certainly see more KFC in Asia than I see in the US.

These sort of stories come out, and then people head to Starbucks or MacDonald's to discuss them.....blah....

[monty1412]

Starbucks being overly petty here.

They'll lose a few Muslim customers

if they carry this to the end I'm sure.

What a load of cods wallop....

you spend years building up your business and expand globally and then your saying its OK for blatant rip offs of your brand , Starbucks have every right and from the look of the logo's every basis to be concerned here... one thing about brand equity that needs to be understood is that if you knowingly allow a rip off brand such as here to trade then if someone bigger uses your brand as well then you have lost all ground to defend your trademark.

I fully support Starbucks here.. dont particularly like their coffee but fully support what they are doing.... find it ironic too that the issue of religion was weaved into the guys excuse.

To the issue of them losing a few Muslim customers... ohhh please.. globally / regionally do you think Starbucks will care if a few Muslims get upset and don't drink their coffee albeit I doubt the ones who would get upset here don't have enough money to step inside a Starbucks.

Ask yourself where the buck stops on this one... is it all right if a guy copies the logo and pushes a cart ?? What if its a shop out back of Nonthaburi ?? What if its a few shops around the capital.. what about 10-15 shops all around hiso shopping areas... when is it that it doesn't become petty anymore.. the answer is when you are dealing with your brand and the intrinsic brand equity that its never.. any minor infringement of the brand should be acted on...

Starbucks arent being petty, they are simply protecting their considerable investment against blatant infringement.. fact that he has a cart and is small fry is irrelevant.

[Bluespunk]

Hmm, the Curry Hut restaurant in silom had better hope Pizza Hut doesn't spot their logo.

[BigC]

Star bucks are not nice people the CEOs

They upped their prices of water in New York after and on the day of 9 11 to 20 dollars a bottle

I am sorry but they own Starbucks name only not similar names unless they have bought out every similar name

Why don't hue get tough on he staff in Starbucks thailand as in most countries internet is free inside but in Thailand they charge even in the 3 G age

Such a cheep thing to do

Plus they might want to investigate staff that offer small cups slightly cheaper in a different cup which looks to me like a home brand make from the left over scraps plus the receipt is written

[sms747]

Is this the same starbucks that avoids paying tax in the Uk?