Toronto-based Second Cup Coffee has filed a countersuit in Vancouver against Seatttle-based Starbucks and the head of the company.

Michael Bregman, chief executive officer of Second Cup, says the countersuit, against a claim filed by Starbucks alleging Second Cup infringement on its trademark and store design, was the only way to defend his company’s integrity.

He says both companies have round logos but the similarity ends there.

Second Cup’s logo is gold and black, with a coffee cup in the centre and Second Cup in serif type.

The Starbucks logo has a mermaid in the middle, uses sans-serif type and has green as the predominant color.

Starbucks also has taken offense to aspects of Second Cup’s store design, such as the use of curved-front display cases for food.

The release of information about the lawsuit against Second Cup coincided with the announcement by Starbuck that it plans to expand further into Canada. PS