Oppositions to Ethiopia's bids to full coffee trademark rights brushed off: EIPO

(28 Dec 2007)

No foreign company that had held Ethiopian coffee brand names as its registered trademark will be eligible to be identified with it anymore, nor will such a trademark be issued to any company whatsoever, says EIPO in announcement of the consummation of the fight to put an end to the long-held patent injustices related to global coffee trade.

Ethiopia's moves to get its ownership rights to its coffee brands -- especially to its two specialty coffees namely Harar and Sidamo -- fully ensured in the global coffee trading regime was being challenged in some parts of the world where some companies had already held their trademark with one or the other of such names, says Getachew Mengistie, Director General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office.

Getachew said, apart from the issue of precedence in trademark registration, Ethiopia's bids were met with objections in some countries on the claims of 'similarity', he said.

Ethiopia has been taking issue with the objecting companies in the U.S., Japan as well as in Europe, to have managed now at long last to convince all to its side, he said.

resistance to Ethiopia's rightful claims from companies in Japan, Germany and the U.S. has been countered successfully, he added.

The trademarking of Harar and sidamo fine coffees has been ensured in the US, according to Getachew, and the US Patent office has recently published a summoning for any company with a claim-against to submit its complaint as a last procedural step before giving full recognition to Ethiopia's rights.

Currently, agreements have been signed with 60 companies in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America to distribute Ethiopian fine coffees.

No company will trade eligibly with Ethiopian coffee names as its trademark, Ato Getachew announced. "No more stealing of Ethiopia's trademark rights." (ENDS)