Starbucks Sued For $10 Million Over the Unicorn Frappuccino

The End Brooklyn, a cafe located in New York City, has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Starbucks, claiming that the beloved coffee coffee chain ripped off its Unicorn Latte with the insanely popular Unicorn Frappuccino drink that everyone could not stop drinking or talking about last month.

Back in January, the owners of The End Brooklyn filed a trademark for their Unicorn Latte, which they began selling in December of 2016. In April, Starbucks launched its whimsical Unicorn Frappuccino drink of pink and blue powder topped with whipped cream. Although the original trademark application is still pending, it is available on public record on the US Patent and Trademark Office's website.

In the new lawsuit, The End Brooklyn claims its customers began questioning whether the Unicorn Latte was a ripoff following Starbucks's Unicorn Frappuccino release. "The size and scope of Starbucks' product launch was designed so that the Unicorn Frappuccino would eclipse the Unicorn Latte in the market, thereby harming [The End Brooklyn] and confusing their customers," the lawsuit reportedly states. "Nobody from Starbucks reached out to the owners or management of Montauk Juice, The End, or any of their representatives to inquire about the use of the mark."

The main differences between the cafe's Unicorn Latte and Starbucks's limited-edition Unicorn Frappuccino are the ingredients. While Starbucks's Unicorn Frappuccino was packed with sugar, The End Brooklyn's Unicorn Latte is reportedly made with "superfoods" like blue-green algae and free of cow's milk or processed food coloring.

Starbucks has released a statement to ABC News, writing, "We are aware of the claims and believe they are without merit. The Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino blended beverage was inspired by the fun, spirited, and colorful unicorn-themed food and drinks that have been trending in social media. The beverage was offered for a limited time in April and is no longer available in our stores." Guess we'll just have to wait and see how this unicorn drama plays out.