Starbucks’ IP Strategy

Starbucks is the world's most valuable restaurant brand for the seventh year running.

The brand is valued at an incredible US$53.4 billion this year. 

And as a Starbucks lover, a brilliant article by Joyce Ng in World Trademark Review (WTR) about their approach to IP caught my eye.

The Starbucks IP team, which has just won its second Retail Team of the Year award, shared an insight into its approach to protection and enforcement of IP.

Love them or hate them, Starbucks are present in more than 80 countries, and their strategic and focused approach to IP will have played no small part in that success and growth.

They favour a 'five pillars' approach to brand enforcement:

• prioritised (developing and implementing robust enforcement activities for core IP assets); 

• proportional (allocating more resources to enforcement activities for core IP assets than to portfolio protection and taking proportionate action); 

• strategic (proactively identifying infringement rather than reacting to problems as they arise); 

• brand accretive (building the strength of the brand through enforcement actions); and 

• collaborative (partnering with IP offices, law enforcement officers, customs officials and online marketplaces to raise awareness of the Starbucks brand and assisting officials in distinguishing genuine and counterfeit goods).  

With a brand as well known, and as infringed, as Starbucks every one of these pillars is key. 

But the ones that stand out for me are 'strategic' and 'collaborative'.  

A proactive team of both in-house and outside counsel is critical. With issues as widespread as copycat stores, counterfeit products and infringing NFTs, Starbucks have to be one step ahead. Only with constant monitoring and strong partners across all jurisdictions can they effectively protect their most valuable assets. 

Bravo Starbucks!