ADDIS ABABA and SEATTLE -May 03, 2007 - Representatives of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and senior leaders from Starbucks Coffee Company today announced that they have completed two days of constructive discussions and the parties have agreed in principle to sign a licensing, distribution and marketing agreement that recognizes the importance and integrity of Ethiopia’s specialty coffee names.

This agreement will help to expand their ongoing collaboration to market and sell Ethiopia’s exceptionally high quality coffees.

"Ethiopia is firmly committed to work in partnership with all international specialty coffee companies and distributors of its fine coffees, including Harar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe. We realise our approach to trademarking and licensing these coffee brands that originate in and represent the best of Ethiopia’s coffee heritage is a new approach that not only meets the needs of small Ethiopian fine coffee farmers and traders but also the coffee roasting and distributing companies and their customers," commented Getachew Mengistie, EIPO Director General.

"Ethiopia is recognized as the historic birthplace of coffee and the source of some of the finest coffee in the world," said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman. "We’re extremely excited to continue to deepen our relationship with the Government of Ethiopia."

The Government of Ethiopia and Starbucks Coffee look forward to formalizing the details of the agreement and signing it in May 2007.

Contacts:

Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO)
Getachew Mengistie
Director General
Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office
gmengistie@yahoo.com
+251-11-5534969

Starbucks Coffee Company
Stacey Krum (for all markets except United Kingdom)
Starbucks Coffee Company
skrum@starbucks.com
+ 1 206-318-3936

Scott Keiller (for United Kingdom)
Starbucks Coffee Company
skeiller@starbucks.com
+44 020.7878.4952

Light Years IP

Light Years IP

Light Years IP (LYIP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty by assisting developing country producers gain ownership of their Intellectual Property (IP) and to use the IP to increase their export income and improve the security of that income. LYIP is pioneering a Poverty Alleviating IP Solutions (PAIPS) approach to help developing world producers identify and own their IP. We believe IP offers a business strategy that can help developing countries increase income, improve the security of their income, and alleviate poverty. We assist producers, exporters, and governments in the developing world to analyze their export potential with respect to identifying the value of intangibles and then using IP tools (i.e. patents, trademarks, licenses) to secure more sustained and higher export income. The ownership of IP is secured in market countries through the existing IP legal frameworks of the developed world.

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