Buc-ee's Takes Legal Steps to Protect Mascot

LAKE JACKSON, Texas -- Buc-ee's Ltd. hopes to protect its well-known beaver logo. The operator of 28 convenience stores filed a lawsuit on July 3 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against B&B Grocery Inc. and Anica B. Jordan, both individually and as a member of Austin Logo Designs LLC, reported The Southeast Texas Record.

According to the complaint, Houston Division of Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:14-cv-01844, Buc-ee's uses a distinct font, color scheme and mascot on logos for all of its stores -- a design that was registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office on May 28, 2007. However, B&B Grocery operates a store in Garner, Texas, called the Frio River Grocery, which uses the "Frio Beaver" in its logo.

"The defendant's willful use of confusingly similar trademarks constitutes an invasion of the plaintiff's valuable property rights in a manner that unjustly enriches the defendant," Buc-ee's claims in its lawsuit.

Lake Jackson-based Buc-ee's is seeking a temporary restraining order against use of the infringing marks, as well as actual and statutory damages.

The c-store retailer is being represented by attorneys H. Tracy Richardson III, Jeffery Frank Nadalo and Elizabeth Lieb.

A depiction of both logos is presented along with this story.