In a joint statement with Ethiopia, Starbucks announced earlier this month that they have agreed in principle to sign a licensing agreement. That was a big u-turn on the company’s position regarding Ethiopia’s efforts to trademark its famous coffee marks, Harar, Sidamo, and Yirgacheffe.
Many people welcomed the decision though with optimism. At the moment, I was not sure what they meant by "agree in principle;" now, I am more eager to read a copy of the signed agreement.
The company, seems to be busy spending more on the future. Understandably, the management wants to leave this story behind at any cost and move on. The discomfiture that other multinational companies, such as Nike, had faced in the past, after giving in to high-profile disputes, is the last ditch one would be willing to do what it takes and get over it.
Albeit, typical of corporate giants, Starbucks is not going to spend a penny without a guaranteed stream of inflow of benefits to equate the associated expenditures.
Company attorneys have been busier since the joint press release. They have been splitting each article in the agreement to its last molecular components. Reportedly, the attorneys were supposed to make a decision on what are termed as “sticky points” and get back to their counter parts at Arnold & Porter LLP today, the latest. That would have paved the way for the signing “ceremony” but there is no official word from either.
I reported last week that the parties were expected to sign the agreement this week. That did not materialize for reasons that are not obvious to me. Aapparently, the parties are working towards a moving deadline.
In the meantime, not necessarily unrelated, Starbucks plans big launch for McCartney’s song on June fifth. The Associated Press reported today, “Starbucks says six million people will hear Paul McCartney's new album on June fifth when the company's Hear Music label releases "Memory Almost Full."
“Starbucks says more then 10,000 shops in 29 countries will be playing the music all day in what it calls a "global listening event."”
I hope the event will take the edge off for a soft landing; more importantly, I hope that event won’t precede the signing “ceremony” which is currently set for next week.
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The following is news from Live Daily
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Starbucks plans big launch for McCartney album
by Tjames MadisonLiveDaily Contributor
May 17, 2007
After signing Paul McCartney (music) to launch its new record label, coffee retailer Starbucks
is planning to make sure that as many people as possible hear the former Beatle's latest album.
The coffee giant will host a worldwide listening party on June 5 for McCartney's new Hear Music-released album, "Memory Almost Full," with more than 10,000 Starbucks stores in 29 countries set to participate in the event by playing the disc for customers all day long.
"Customers from Taipei to Topeka have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary album all within a span of 24 hours," said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment, the company that oversees the day-to-day operations of Hear Music. "The Global Listening Event is one example of how we are bringing back the sense of event surrounding new releases, allowing fans to discover new music in a very personal way."
The company estimates that six million people around the world will hear at least part of the album, which is the debut release for Starbucks and its Hear imprint. The album will be available at Starbucks locations, as well as traditional music retail outlets, beginning June 5 in the US and Canada, and June 4 internationally.
McCartney reunited with longtime producer and friend David Kahne to record the new effort, which draws upon his memories of childhood and time spent writing songs with John Lennon.
"In places, it's a very personal record and a lot of it is retrospective, drawing from memory, like memories from being a kid, from Liverpool and from summers gone," McCartney wrote recently on his website.
The video for the opening track, "Dance Tonight," was shot in April with director Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"). It stars Natalie Portman and Mackenzie Crook.
Many people welcomed the decision though with optimism. At the moment, I was not sure what they meant by "agree in principle;" now, I am more eager to read a copy of the signed agreement.
The company, seems to be busy spending more on the future. Understandably, the management wants to leave this story behind at any cost and move on. The discomfiture that other multinational companies, such as Nike, had faced in the past, after giving in to high-profile disputes, is the last ditch one would be willing to do what it takes and get over it.
Albeit, typical of corporate giants, Starbucks is not going to spend a penny without a guaranteed stream of inflow of benefits to equate the associated expenditures.
Company attorneys have been busier since the joint press release. They have been splitting each article in the agreement to its last molecular components. Reportedly, the attorneys were supposed to make a decision on what are termed as “sticky points” and get back to their counter parts at Arnold & Porter LLP today, the latest. That would have paved the way for the signing “ceremony” but there is no official word from either.
I reported last week that the parties were expected to sign the agreement this week. That did not materialize for reasons that are not obvious to me. Aapparently, the parties are working towards a moving deadline.
In the meantime, not necessarily unrelated, Starbucks plans big launch for McCartney’s song on June fifth. The Associated Press reported today, “Starbucks says six million people will hear Paul McCartney's new album on June fifth when the company's Hear Music label releases "Memory Almost Full."
“Starbucks says more then 10,000 shops in 29 countries will be playing the music all day in what it calls a "global listening event."”
I hope the event will take the edge off for a soft landing; more importantly, I hope that event won’t precede the signing “ceremony” which is currently set for next week.
-------------
The following is news from Live Daily
-------------
Starbucks plans big launch for McCartney album
by Tjames MadisonLiveDaily Contributor
May 17, 2007
After signing Paul McCartney (music) to launch its new record label, coffee retailer Starbucks
is planning to make sure that as many people as possible hear the former Beatle's latest album. The coffee giant will host a worldwide listening party on June 5 for McCartney's new Hear Music-released album, "Memory Almost Full," with more than 10,000 Starbucks stores in 29 countries set to participate in the event by playing the disc for customers all day long.
"Customers from Taipei to Topeka have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary album all within a span of 24 hours," said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment, the company that oversees the day-to-day operations of Hear Music. "The Global Listening Event is one example of how we are bringing back the sense of event surrounding new releases, allowing fans to discover new music in a very personal way."
The company estimates that six million people around the world will hear at least part of the album, which is the debut release for Starbucks and its Hear imprint. The album will be available at Starbucks locations, as well as traditional music retail outlets, beginning June 5 in the US and Canada, and June 4 internationally.
McCartney reunited with longtime producer and friend David Kahne to record the new effort, which draws upon his memories of childhood and time spent writing songs with John Lennon.
"In places, it's a very personal record and a lot of it is retrospective, drawing from memory, like memories from being a kid, from Liverpool and from summers gone," McCartney wrote recently on his website.
The video for the opening track, "Dance Tonight," was shot in April with director Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"). It stars Natalie Portman and Mackenzie Crook.
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