Uh Oh! The Unicorn Frappuccino Has Sparked Legal Trouble for Starbucks
It looks like the Unicorn Frappuccino buzz is long from being over for Starbucks, but perhaps not for a reason that the brand is thrilled about. Before the mythically inspired frapp hit the scene, you may remember the Unicorn Latté from Brooklyn’s The End café. It’s pretty similar to the now viral frappuccino sensation, and the folks behind the latté are now actually suing Starbucks.
While some may think that Starbucks’ Frappuccino might give other unicorn drink vendors a boost in sales (especially since the Unicorn Frapp was just a temporary treat), the makers of the Unicorn Latté, which has been a menu item for The End since last December, say that their customers now assume their concoction is a knockoff or copycat of Starbucks’ version instead of an original creation.
According to the New York Post, records show The End’s owners even applied to trademark the name on January 20. However, since the application is still pending, this legal sitch could be even stickier than the sugar used in each drink.
“The size of and scope of Starbucks’ product launch was designed so that the Unicorn Frappuccino would eclipse the Unicorn Latté in the market, thereby harming [The End] and confusing their customers,” the suit claims. “In addition to having a highly similar name, Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino shares visual similarities to the Unicorn Latte in that both were brightly colored and featured the colors pink and blue prominently.”
However, considering The End isn’t the only establishment claiming to have been serving unicorn-inspired drinks before Starbucks brought their frapp to the table (a Toronto bakery even had their own Unicorn Frappuccino prior to the viral buzz), we’re just not sure how this kind of lawsuit might turn out.
What do you think about this Unicorn Frappuccino lawsuit? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t People; photo via Christopher Furlong/Getty)
