14 DAY TRIAL // A legitimate coffee shop called Dumb Starbucks Coffee Shop has popped up in Los Feliz, Los Angeles but, despite the name and the fact that it comes with the same logo (and same everything) as Starbucks, it is not affiliated in any way to the coffee giant.
If you find that confusing, don’t worry: so does everyone else.
Dumb Starbucks serves Dumb coffee and Dumb treats, and even invites customers to listen to Dumb music CDs, be they jazz, Cuban, or soul.
Judging by what people are saying online, it even served free (dumb) coffee for a short while, which explains why people queued outside in a line for hours on end. Eventually, everyone was talking about this new place that was like Starbucks but not quite, because it was Dumb.
In the FAQs list, owners of the coffee shop explain that their use of all Starbucks trademark signs is protected by the so-called “parody law,” aka the fair use law which doesn’t require permission from the rights holder for a work of parody, the Daily Mail notes.
“Although we are a fully functioning coffee shop, for legal reasons Dumb Starbucks needs to be categorize as a work of parody art. So, in the eyes of the law, our ‘coffee shop’ is actually an art gallery and the ‘coffee’ you’re buying is considered the art. But that’s for our lawyers to worry about. All you need to do is enjoy our delicious coffee!” the owners say.
They also clarify that, with the use of “Dumb,” they’re not saying that Starbucks is that.
“We love Starbucks and look up to them as role models. Unfortunately, the only way to use their intellectual property under fair use is if we are making fun of them. So the word ‘dumb’ comes out of necessity, not enmity,” they say.
While reports online note that the new coffee shop could be a piece of performance art meant to boost interest in some secret project, perhaps a new TV show, Starbucks has confirmed that Dumb Starbucks is not theirs.
They also say that they have their attorneys on it, so chances are Dumb Coffee might not be around for much longer so, if you’re in LA and are curious to see what the fuss is all about, you know what they say: no better time than the present.