Buc-ee’s Files Suit – Claims ‘Mom & Pop’ Mini Mart a ‘Threat’
(KMDL-FM) Legal advisors for the giant Texas-based travel center Buc-ee's have filed a lawsuit against a much smaller mini mart claiming that the much smaller store's branding and mascot too closely resemble that of Buc-ee's. There is a concern, at least among the Buc-ee's legal team, that the confusion could do irreparable harm to the Buc-ee's trademark and business model.
It seems filing lawsuits against smaller businesses has become almost a pastime for the legal team at Buc-ee's. The stores have been involved in so many copyright and trademark battles that late-night host John Oliver called the Texas travel centers out and invited them to sue him.
Buc-ee's Files Another Logo Copyright Infringement Suit
But this isn't a late-night television stunt to garner ratings; this is a real court case between Buc-ee's and the owners of Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio. Buc-ee's has recently opened a location in Huber Heights, Ohio, which is about 16 miles away from the Beavercreek store named in the lawsuit.
The suit alleges that the Beavercreek mascot, a cartoon beaver, is too similar to the Buc-ee's trademarked logo. The suit alleges the Beavercreek mascot has "wide eyes and a smile," and the predominant color used in the logo is red, which is also similar to Buc-ee's.
Here is an actual snapshot of the sign taken from Google Streetview.
Yeah, that is a beaver. Yeah, he's got a smile. Yeah, the words are written in red. But the bigger question, at least to me, who has no working knowledge of the law, is which one of these places was there first?
WDTN Television did an in-depth story on the suit; they cover Ohio news, and in their report you can really get a great look at the two logos side by side.
Local Mini Mart Battles Buc-ee's Over Logo and Trademark Infringement
The answer to that is Beaver's Mini Mart. It's been a part of the Beavercreek economic scene for decades. Buc-ee's just opened in April of this year. As you might imagine, the local folks are rallying around the smaller beaver, and I do mean smaller. Here is just how big the Beaver's Mini Mart is.
Now let's compare that to what your basic Buc-ee's looks like. I am going out on a limb to say Buc-ee's, the store below, appears to have more parking and a few more gas pumps. But I bet you can buy a Pepsi at the other place.
READ MORE: Here's Why You Can't Get Pepsi at Buc-ee's
I can see why so many people would be confused because it's hard to tell those two places apart. Of course, that is sarcasm, but you can expect more Buc-ee's backlash as the giant travel centers expand.
READ MORE: Do You Know the Unwritten Rules for Stopping at a Buc-ee's?
And if you own a grocery store and it has a mascot that looks anything close to a beaver, you might want to rethink your design because when Buc-ee's opens in April of 2027 near Ruston and later the same year near Lafayette, you know the legal beavers are going to be scouring the landscape for "threats".