Buc-ee’s Goes to Court Over Unauthorized Merchandise

(Mix 93-1)  It's been said that 'imitation is the best form of flattery', meaning you are worthy of emulation and you've got something good going on.

That's all nice to think about, but when someone starts taking your intellectual property and using it or its likeness for themselves and profiting from it, that's wrong, and you have the right to defend yourself and your likeness.

Texans are very familiar with the oversized convenience store with 120 gas pumps that sits along interstate service roads, which can be spotted a mile away thanks to the giant beaver in the sky. If you're not familiar with it, I'm talking about Buc-ee's.

Buc-ee's is a must-stop during any Texas road trip, be it for gas, snacks, drinks, t-shirts, or even home decor. The brand is so popular in Texas that they've expanded to Tennessee, Colorado, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina, and people have become very aware of the Buc-ee's beaver.

READ MORE --> Buc-ee's Breaks Ground On New 74,000 Sq. Ft. Texas Location

The beaver, though, is being exploited by those not associated with Buc-ee's, and now the travel store giant is going after them in court. They've taken on many imposters throughout the years, both domestically and internationally, and won their cases.

In the latest case, the beaver recently filed a trademark infringement suit in federal court over a South Carolina company's use of their logo on clothing.

Buc-ee’s vs. Born United: Military Beaver Gear Lawsuit

At issue in this case is an altered version of the logo, not the official one depicting the Buc-ee's beaver posing with a gun in military gear that has been sold on t-shirts, shorts, and a patch. (Live5News)

Born United, the makers of the products in question, continued to sell products with the depiction even after receiving a cease-and-desist letter, and now Buc-ee's is looking for compensation for the products that were sold along with attorney fees.

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Krampus Beaver? The Florida Punk Rock Shirt Dispute

This isn't the only case the company is working on. They are also suing a Florida clothing store, Prometheus Esoterica, over the use of the beaver logo in screenprinted t-shirts "explicitly promoted as a BUCCEE shirt" (KXAN).

These shirts depict the beaver with a punk rock makeover and dressed as Krampus.

Both of these cases are still pending and working their way through the court system.

The Ongoing Fight Against Logo Infringement

There is a good chance that Buc-ee's will win these cases, but without a doubt, I feel that Buc-ee's will be spending a lot of time in court defending and protecting their logo and intellectual property in the coming years. They've been there for quite some time.

For those that are getting away with it now, the beavers's watching - and will catch up with you soon!