Law expert says Buc-ee’s faces uphill battle in Beaver’s Mini Mart suit; WHIO, August 6, 2026

 

Megan Finke, WHIO.com and Xavier Hershovitz, WHIO; Law expert says Buc-ee’s faces uphill battle in Beaver’s Mini Mart suit

"Hershovitz talked with University of Michigan law professor Jessica Litman. She focuses on intellectual property law. 

“Trademark infringement requires the trademark owner to prove that the marks are sufficiently similar that consumers are likely to be confused,” Litman said. 

She said Buc-ee’s has filed several lawsuits against businesses for copyright infringement.

“When Buc-ee’s started a national expansion, it started filing trademark suits against other convenience stores attached to gas stations that it saw in the way of its expansion, and it’s been something of a bully,” Litman said. 

When looking at the two logos, Litman said she finds it unlikely that it would “be able to prove a likelihood of confusion.”

But she said these lawsuits are very expensive. 

While she believes no judge or jury would rule in Buc-ee’s favor, getting to that point can be tough for small businesses. 

“A number of businesses have decided that it’s way too expensive to go to trial on this, and have settled by agreeing to change their neighbor logo,” she said."

Buc-ee's sues yet another convenience store over logo similarities; USA TODAY, February 25, 2026

 Greta Cross , USA TODAY; Buc-ee's sues yet another convenience store over logo similarities

"Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against Coles IP Holdings, LLC, which owns the Ohio convenience store and gas station chain Mickey Mart, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on Feb. 18. Buc-ee's is suing for trademark infringement and unfair competition. Buc-ee's is also trying to cancel Coles IP Holdings' trademark registrations, a process that began in August 2025, according to court documents.

With about 42 Ohio locations, according to its website, Mickey Mart features a smiling cartoon moose within a red hexagon as its logo. Buc-ee's argues, in court documents, that the animalistic logo is too similar to its own – a toothy beaver wearing a red ballcap inside a bright yellow circle. Both animals are facing right and display wide eyes and a smile, Buc-ee's says in court documents...

Historically, Buc-ee's has been eager to jump on convenience stores that feature a gleeful animal mascot, claiming the similarities may cause confusion for consumers who may think Buc-ee's is associated with the smaller, often local or regional chains. Here's a look at some of the businesses Buc-ee's has sued over the years:..."