"Sometimes you have to turn questions upside down to find the right answer. If trademarking Ethiopia’s Specialty coffees translates to a gain of $88 million annually for the poor farmer, why is it not helpful to trademark? Who is the legitimate owner of the names Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, and Harar? How come it was ok for Starbucks to use ‘Sidamo’ when it applied in 2004 (later dropped) for ‘Shirkina Sundried Sidamo’ trademark?" - read more at "Starbucks' prescription for Ethiopia: GI certification or chat ."