Would it be legal to build a interactive website that shows people how to order drinks at Starbucks.?
I am a star buck’s barista studying web development. I wanted to develop a site that would help the public learn the star bucks language and understand what all those weird Italian words mean. Building a site like this would be a great learning experience and would look great in my portfolio. Would star bucks have a legal case against me given that I work for the company?
As a barista, everything I know is common knowledge. I am advised to share this information with my customers. All of the resources I have at my disposal are available to my customers upon request. Any customer can read the coffee and tea resource manual, it just cannot leave the store. Most of the knowledge that will go into the site will come off the top of my head, since the site will be geared towards better customer-barista relations.
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No offense, but Starbucks coffee is the worse I have ever had. I ordered a decaf iced mocha blended like a frappe, and asked them not to make it too sweet. Talk about disgusting! I had to pretty much throw it away, because it tasted like blended ice, sugar and syrup with no coffee flavor. The next time I just ordered a plain iced mocha decaf, double shot, easy on the mocha. Yuck! The coffee tasted like cardboard. I have been to several different Starbucks places in different city's and states, one being Seattle, WA. I was in Billings, MT and went to a place called "Coffee House" and ordered my regular blended iced Mocha decaf, double shot. The coffee was great! Also I go to Hastings Hardback cafe and order the same thing, and their coffee is also really good and the drink was great. When I was in Sheridan, Wyoming, I went to one of those small little coffee huts you see along the road, and again ordered the same thing and the coffee was really good. Also in Ellensburg, WA, I had coffee from one of those little huts, and it was great. What is it with Starbucks and their bad tasting coffee. I was told that they have made a name for themselves and now serve the cheapest coffee they can get. I hope this is not true. Also I am not the only one who has complained about Starbucks and their bad coffee. Again, no offense to you, as you only work for them, but my advise would be to really talk to them about the coffee they serve.
They really shouldn't have any reason to sue you. You're helping promote them...for free! What could be better for them?
Unless you get some type of permission first, they may not like you getting the exposure for your site based on their concept and trademarks. Even though your intentions sound good and I'm sure you mean well, you may be surprised at what some trademark lawyer will do to your reputation. Who knows, If you have a great idea, perhaps they would feature it on their own website, where they can control the content and activity.
However, if you can't find a way to get their approval, you should be free to use a generic coffee house name and explain many of the terms used that you mentioned as long as they are not specific to the Starbucks brand.
Create your site, but before running live with it run it through starbucks corporate!
i think it'd be safer if you emailed them or something first... they would probably love your idea
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