Coca-Cola may take on Starbucks

Soft-drinks giant appears to be eyeing coffee market


By Justin Rubner
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Updated: 2:28 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2006
The Coca-Cola Co., already locked in a decades-long clash with PepsiCo Inc. for supremacy in the cold beverage business, may be about to pick a fight with the nation's No. 1 hot beverage powerhouse: Starbucks Corp.
For the past two years, Coca-Cola has been quietly investigating ways to brew high-quality coffee, espresso and teas quickly in individual servings, a review of the company's patent and trademark applications shows. The company filed five U.S. patent applications in 2005 for coffee and tea "pod" designs, single-serving brewing machines, and a system to steam milk to make hot espresso and cappuccino. Coca-Cola already has been awarded two patents.
Plus, Coca-Cola in late 2005 filed nine applications to trademark the name "Far Coast" for coffee, coffee grinders, hats, fruit tea and other products.

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