WEST TEXAS

Trial to Begin Over Buc-ee's Claim of Trademark Infringement

Popular Texas travel center Buc-ee's will argue in federal court Tuesday that a competitor's cartoon logo of an alligator licking its lips is too similar to the company's signature logo illustration of a beaver wearing a baseball cap.

Buc-ee's trademark spat with San Antonio's Choke Canyon has been ongoing for months and testimony is scheduled to begin this week in Houston as to whether Choke Canyon infringed on an established trademark.

Buc-ee's is a popular stop for travelers in need of gas, food or shelf upon shelf of Texas tchotchkes. Choke Canyon is a rest-stop chain that specializes in barbecue and also sells Texas-themed items and boasts their clean, oversized bathrooms -- a popular marketing point of reference for the Buc-ees chain.

Both animals are positioned in the same way, with each logo have a shade of yellow as a background.

The Houston Chronicle reports Buc-ee's has sued a number of competitors that used cartoon mascots.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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