From Forbes.com:
SHANGHAI, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Starbucks is suing a rival Shanghai chain whose name in Chinese is virtually identical to that of the U.S. giant that introduced coffee culture to a nation of tea lovers.
Starbucks Corp is taking aim at Shanghai Xing Ba Ke Coffee Shop Co, whose Mandarin name is written and pronounced the same as that chosen by the U.S. chain when it first set up operations in China — the focus of an aggressive international expansion.
“We will take legal steps to protect the value of our trademark and protect the public from confusion and deception,” the U.S. company said in a statement, adding it had tried to negotiate with the Chinese firm but failed to reach an agreement.
The whole article is here.