Woman Takes on Coca-Cola in Trademark Dispute and Wins

In 2005, an Australian woman named Annabelle Young wanted to start a tea company. In order to protect her IP she decided to trademark the name HONEST TEA in Australia.  Not too long after her trademark issued,  an American company using the same name brought suit against her claiming global rights in the name.  That company was unsuccessful but shortly thereafter, Coca-Cola bought the US based company and took aim at Young again, claiming that her product was not a tea.  After ten years of legal battles and immense legal fees, Young finally succeeded in defending her trademark.  This case highlights the importance of trademarking your names, logos and slogans early on in the business development stages in protecting your brand. 

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