New York Attacks Texas Legend Whataburger Because of Copyright

(Corpus Christi, Texas) - Whataburger is a legend in Texas. The burger favorite started as a simple stand in 1950. Since that time, the burger chain has garnered millions of fans who love their burgers, onion rings, sausage biscuits, hash browns and more.

While no one has tried to copy the actual taste of Whataburger's food, many competitors do exist that offer a different take on the hamburger and sides to compete. I don't think it's possible to copyright a food item but there are some other things that can be. Apparently, Whataburger is using a piece of tech that another company claims Whataburger is using illegally.

New York Law Firm is Attacking Whataburger Over a Copyright

Torus Ventures is a company based in New York that has the patent on an encryption system code that was developed in 2007 (mysanantonio.com). Basically, the code is used to keep data safe within the company. A vague description but if I go into the legal jargon, all of us, including myself, will be completely lost.

Well, Torus Ventures is claiming that Whataburger copied their code, which is copyrighted. The suit was filed in the Eastern District of Texas which has courts in Tyler, Lufkin, Marshall, Texarkana, Sherman and Beaumont. This isn't their first suit, either. The company has gone after over 100 other companies claiming the same thing.

Not Whataburger's First Rodeo

Whataburger has been through this before. In December of last year (2024), Nearby Systems filed suit saying that Whataburger violated three of their patents. Those patents deal with information related to mobile apps.

We'll keep an eye on this case and give any updates if they become available.