Real Starbucks: Dumb Starbucks 'Cannot Use Our Name'

Starbucks has responded to the Los Angeles parody coffee shop/art thing Dumb Starbucks. A spokesperson tells Eater, "We are evaluating next steps and while we appreciate the humor, they cannot use our name, which is a protected trademark." Meanwhile, all of the journalists in LA are getting some dumb cups of coffee, dumb paper cups from the shop are available for hundred of dollars on eBay, and Dumb Starbucks is, ironically, fighting off imitators.

UPDATE 2/11: After it was revealed that Dumb Starbucks was the work of Comedy Central's Nathan Fielder, the Los Angeles County Health Department has shut it down for operating without a permit.

It seems every news outlet in the land is making a pilgrimage to Dumb Starbucks: read takes on it from Grantland, Sprudge, Badass Digest and Eater LA. Is "I Went to Dumb Starbucks" the new "I Foraged With René Redzepi" piece?

In a few of those reports, sightings of hats, mugs, and stickers bearing the Dumb Starbucks name have appeared. Dumb Starbucks' Twitter warns, "FYI Dumb Starbucks is not selling any official merch yet (hats,mugs,shirts). The cups you get from our baristas are our only authorized item." Which seems...odd. Coming from a parody restaurant.

Never fear, Dumb Starbucks aficionados: you can buy both authorized and unauthorized Dumb Starbucks merch on eBay. You can get a cup (starting bid $100), a, uh, used cup (starting bid $300), a copy of Dumb Starbucks' FAQ (buy it at $69.99), and the considerably cheaper Dumb Starbucks t-shirts.

Anyway, Dumb Starbucks said "not selling any official merch yet," so America has all kinds of Dumb Starbucks merchandise to look forward to. That is, if actual real Starbucks doesn't slam a righteous legal hammer down on them first.

FYI Dumb Starbucks is not selling any official merch yet (hats,mugs,shirts). The cups you get from our baristas are our only authorized item

— Dumb Starbucks (@dumbstarbucks) February 10, 2014

UPDATE 2/11: After it was revealed that Dumb Starbucks was the work of Comedy Central's Nathan Fielder, the Los Angeles County Health Department has shut it down for operating without a permit.

· 'Dumb Starbucks' Parody Coffee Shop Opens in LA [-E-]
· All Starbucks Coverage on Eater [-E-]