Also see updated Timeline of the Starbucks-Ethiopia dispute Afriquenligne May 8, 2008 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - In a bid to promote its fine coffee exports, Ethiopia has launched an innovative and radical brand management programme that is pegged to the East African country's distinctive coffees, according to the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (IPO). It is the first time that an African nation has undertaken such a contemporary approach to developing its economy through brand management, Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported Thursday, quoting the IPO. The launch of the programme took place on the sidelines of the just ended 20th Annual Conference of Specialty Coffees Association of America in Minneapolis, USA. Ethiopia, the origin of coffee beans, exports around 177,000 tonnes of coffee a year, representing about 15 percent of the world's production. However, it is only recently that the country woke to international promotion of its famous fine coffees. Accord...