International Law

The ongoing attempts of Ethiopia, the original source of coffee, to trademark coffees under various regional names presents an interesting attempt to use IP rights, so often enforced in developing countries to limit copying developed country technologies (esp. medicines), to actually protect African property.  Here is an interesting article on the most recent developments in Ethiopia, the challenges by Starbucks, and the goal to extend the strategy to other goods and other countries.  The coffee issue has been address at Law.com, Fortune, and elsewhere as well, and Oxfam has waged a campaign in support of the Ethiopian position.  But it will be interesting to see if the strategy works and if it is extended and in the meantime it also raises interesting international IP issues.