I n 2013, nearly one-fifth of American households used K-Cups, Keurig Green Mountain's single-serve coffee pods—the answer to long lines, tiring coffee runs and messy instant powder. But in the familiar buzz of a tiny K-cup being pumped, there lies a much larger issue. Since Green Mountain's patent for K-cups expired in September 2012, competitors have exploded onto the single-serve coffee market scene. For the first time since Keurig debuted the pods in 1990, other companies could stake their claims in a market share, but no longer, exclusively dominated by Keurig. Private-labels of coffee pods—known as "pirated" pods, though legal—began offering cheaper alternatives to K-Cups. Since the expiration date, however, Keurig has made efforts to retain control of the coffee pod market. The company has partnered with retail giants, including Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, allowing them to make their own K-Cups. Keurig extended its brand; it didn't relinquish it.