Trademarks provide legal protection for names, logos, and other distinctive elements used by companies to identify their products or services. Their primary purpose is to prevent consumer confusion. Iconic brands, such as Starbucks, have trademarks that are recognized as “well-known” due to their reputation and recognition that extends beyond the average level. International treaties, such as the Paris Convention and the TRIPS Agreement, provide broad protection for such brands, harmonizing intellectual property protection systems worldwide. Nevertheless, infringements still occur, especially in countries where the brands do not officially operate, such as Starbucks in Venezuela.
In December 2021, a coffee shop using the Starbucks logo and the slogan “We proudly serve Starbucks” opened in the Yeet supermarket in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. This slogan belongs to a program run by Starbucks and Nestlé, offering beverages and equipment for hospitals, workplaces, universities, and the recreation and healthcare sectors, but it is only available in the United States and the United Kingdom. News of the alleged opening of a Starbucks coffee shop in Venezuela quickly went viral on social media. Some people believed it was an official Starbucks location, while others suspected that the coffee shop had no connection to the brand, arguing that the opening of such an iconic chain in Venezuela would have n officially announced.
The buzz around the coffee shop was so significant that Starbucks and Nestlé issued official statements confirming that neither the coffee shop nor the “We proudly serve Starbucks” program was present in Venezuela. One of the owners of Yeet, Jorge Nieves, claimed that when purchasing products and equipment, they received guidelines that they followed. He also stated that they were “not an official Starbucks store” and that their goal was simply to “enhance the in-store shopping experience.”
Through its representatives in Venezuela, Starbucks sent a cease-and-desist letter to the owners of Yeet, demanding that they stop using the logo and slogan. As a result, the Starbucks logo was replaced with the Yeet logo. By 2025, Starbucks had strengthened its protection of its intellectual property in Venezuela by filing trademark applications in international classes 21, 30, and 43.
This case demonstrates that, despite international protection for well-known brands, it is crucial for companies like Starbucks to register their trademarks in as many jurisdictions as possible. Yeet infringed on Starbucks’ trademark rights because placing the logo in its coffee shop created confusion among Venezuelan customers, suggesting an association with the brand. Famous brands are more vulnerable to infringement due to their popularity and reputation. In the age of social media, where information about a brand can quickly gain global exposure, robust legal protection becomes a necessity. The Starbucks story in Venezuela serves as a cautionary tale for all brands with international reach – protecting intellectual property must take precedence over geographical business expansion.
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