There is no official data to confirm that Starbucks plans to return to Russia in the near future. The corporation has filed applications for registration of several trademarks through the Russian intellectual property service Rospatent, but this is a precautionary measure aimed at protecting its brand, as many patent protections expire next year. In an official statement, the company said that in 2022, after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Starbucks decided to leave the Russian market.
Social media and Russian websites are spreading information that the American coffee brand Starbucks is allegedly planning to return to Russia. «Starbucks, which left Russia two years ago, has filed eight trademark applications with Rospatent. The company wants to register the brands Starbucks, Starbucks coffee, Frappuccino and others. At the same time, the coffee chain risks losing its existing trademarks due to their non-use as early as 2025,» the media reported.
In fact, there is no evidence that Starbucks is returning to the Russian market. According to media reports, the coffee chain, which left Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has indeed filed applications for registration of several trademarks through the Russian intellectual property service Rospatent. Starbucks intends to register eight of its brands, including Starbucks, Starbucks coffee, Frappuccino, and trademarks related to the preparation of drinks and food, the sale of instant coffee, and a loyalty programme.
However, according to the Kyiv Post, the company’s move is a «preemptive measure» aimed at protecting its brand, as many patent protections expire next year.
«Starbucks Russian operations were taken over by Russian rapper Timati, Timur Yunusov, and business entrepreneur Anton Pinskiy. They purchased all the company’s Russian assets in the summer of 2022 and rebranded the business as Stars Coffee with the slogan: “Bucks is gone, stars stay.”» the Kyiv Post notes. In other words, Starbucks’ return to Russia in the near future and under the current circumstances is definitely out of the question.
In addition, in 2022 and 2023, Pinsky’s applications for registration of new trademarks Stars Pinskiy Coffee and Stars Kanokov Coffee were rejected by Rospatent, as the similarity of the new trademarks to the original Starbucks brands could lead to «confusion among customers». In April of this year, restaurateurs filed a lawsuit demanding early termination of the Starbucks Corporation’s trademark, which is likely to be considered simultaneously with the current Starbucks petition. Thus, the American corporation is trying to protect its patents in the Russian market and prevent their disappearance.
Moreover, the official website of the coffee chain states that the company has suspended all business activities in Russia in early March 2022, including the shipment of all Starbucks products. Starbucks has decided to withdraw and no longer be present in the Russian market. The company also condemned Russia’s «unprovoked, unjust and horrific attacks on Ukraine» and donated all royalties received from its operations in Russia to humanitarian aid to Ukraine. In addition, the Starbucks Foundation has donated $500,000 to World Central Kitchen and the Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
StopFake continues to expose similar fakes in the materials Fake: Foreign Corporations Have Bought More Land in Ukraine than Russia Seized During War, Manipulation: Over 80% of MEP Candidates Do Not Agree to Accept Ukraine into EU, Fake: London Launches a Countdown Projection to Zelenskyi’s «Presidency End».
