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Buc-ee’s has settled a trademark infringement lawsuit with an Ohio gas station chain that involved their cartoon mascots.
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that → log → mascots
The chain of massive travel centers sued Mickey's gas station chain in February, alleging that the company's mascot — a cartoon moose named Mickey — infringed on its trademark.
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mascot → sue → trademark
The company notes in the lawsuit that its own logo features a cartoon beaver that faces right, and that Mickey is “a cartoon animal facing right with wide eyes and a smile, overlaying a round background.”
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Mickey → note → background
The lawsuit further claims that Mickey's had until recently been called “Mickey Mart” and alleges the name change now “more closely resembles Plaintiff's BUC-EE's mark.”
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change → claim → mark
Mickey's countersued Buc-ee's in April, claiming malicious litigation and unfair competition.
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Mickey → countersue → litigation
It argued that “Ohio consumers can readily distinguish a moose from a beaver,” and that cartoon animals are a common mascot for convenience stores, according to NBC 4.
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animals → argue → NBC
Buc-ee's and Coles IP Holdings, the parent company of Mickey's, reached a confidential settlement agreement September 15.
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ee → reach → agreement
It's unclear if Mickey's will have to change its logo as a result of the settlement agreement.
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Mickey → have → agreement
The Independent has requested comment from both Buc-ee's and Mickey's.
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Independent → request → ee
Buc-ee's has filed numerous copyright lawsuits centered on its cartoon beaver logo.
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ee → file → logo
In July, Buc-ee's sued a small convenience store called Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio.
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ee → sue → Beavercreek
The mini mart's logo is a cartoon beaver, which Buc-ee's argued was too similar to its own mascot.
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ee → argue → mascot
Vik Bopari, who owns the store, told The Cincinnati Enquirer in August that he could not understand why a company the size of Buc-ee's would target him.
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company → own → him
“I don't know why they would sue a small business like mine,” he said.
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he → know → mine
“I have two kids, and this store is how I feed them.”
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I → have → them
The lawsuit infuriated locals, who rallied around Beaver's Mini Mart and launched a GoFundMe to help the company pay for its legal fees.
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company → infuriate → fees
That campaign has raised more than $82,000.
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campaign → raise → 82,000
In May, Buc-ee’s sued North Georgia convenience store Teddy’s Market, arguing its cartoon teddy bear logo is confusingly similar to its own animal logo.
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logo → sue → logo
Teddy’s Market asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that motorists are not likely to confuse the two logos.
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motorists → ask → logos
It accused Buc-ee’s of being a “trademark bully,” according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
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It → accuse → Atlanta
Earlier this month, South Carolina-based Born United clothing company was forced to pay Buc-ee's $850,000 to settle another infringement lawsuit.
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company → base → lawsuit
Buc-ee's accused Born United of using a modified version of its beaver logo on its apparel.
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ee → accuse → apparel
The Born United design includes a cartoon beaver that looks nearly identical to the Buc-ee's logo, dressed in military fatigues and tactical gear and carrying an assault rifle.
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that → include → rifle
In a settlement order, Born United was ordered by a judge to permanently stop using the Buc-ee's logo or any “confusingly similar” mascot in its products.
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United → order → products
The company also had to admit that it sold merchandise featuring the logo and acknowledge that it had prior knowledge of the Buc-ee's trademarks.
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it → have → trademarks
Born United must also destroy all of its products bearing the logo and take down any advertisements featuring the mascot, as well as pay Buc-ee's $850,000.
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United → destroy → 850,000
The Aporia
