Balmuccino Sues Starbucks Over Lip Balm Concept

Starbucks faces a third lawsuit from Balmuccino, a company accusing the coffee chain of stealing its coffee-flavored lipstick concept. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, follows two previous dismissals on procedural grounds. Balmuccino claims it presented its lip balm prototypes at a meeting in October 2018, brokered by TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, and alleges that Starbucks launched its 'S'mores Frappuccino Sip Kit' in 2019 without compensation. The kit featured lip products in various shades, prompting Balmuccino to seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Starbucks has not yet commented on the latest allegations. The case is filed as Balmuccino LLC v. Starbucks Corp in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.