Coke drops trademark lawsuit over Honest Tea in Australia
Coca-Cola abandoned a significant legal challenge against an Australian tea company that sells its products under Honest Tea trademark. The brand was trademarked in Australia in 2005 to sell a range of iced teas and loose leaf teas. According to the manager of the local tea company, the legal challenge took its toll on the business, citing difficulties in recruiting workers and finding new distributors. The Guardian article also claims that Coca-Cola hired a private investigator to examine the business and whether the trademark was being actively used. The withdrawal of the lawsuit is seen as a victory for small business against legal bullying from large multinationals. Coca-Cola already challenged the trademark in 2011, when it acquired the US-based Honest Tea. Previous to that, the US-based Honest Tea also unsuccessfully challenged the trademark back in 2007.