Nestlé targets Seattle cold brew company in trademark dispute
Why it matters: The fight raises a bigger question: can only one coffee company claim trademark rights in the word "Seattle" — or can the Emerald City's cool, caffeinated cachet be shared?
What's happening: Nestlé recently filed a petition asking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark it issued two years ago to Seattle Strong, a cold brew company formed in Seattle in 2017.
The trademark office's appeal board set a timeline for the case this week, with a trial expected next year.
What they're saying: Nestlé, which is based in Switzerland, argues that Seattle Strong's name is so similar to Seattle's Best that coffee buyers may confuse the two brands.
The similarity is also "likely to dilute the distinctiveness of Nestlé's Seattle's Best mark" and could damage the company, Nestlé writes.
Seattle Strong, which started as a college project at the University of Washington, argues that confusion is unlikely, given that Seattle Strong exclusively focuses on cold brew. The Seattle's Best brand sells a variety of coffee products, including whole-bean coffee and Keurig pods.
Seattle Strong also says it "would suffer undue prejudice" by having to change its branding now, after building a business around its trademark for the past few years.
The other side: "They seem to think they own the name Seattle," Seattle Strong founder Evan Oeflein said in a video posted this week.
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