Cincy Shirts backs Beaver's Mini Mart in Buc-ee's trademark fight
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A trademark dispute between a small Dayton-area convenience store and Buc-ee's is drawing national attention — and now Cincy Shirts is turning it into a fundraiser.
The backstory: Texas-based Buc-ee's has built a reputation for aggressively defending its trademarks, filing lawsuits against businesses it says use confusingly similar names, logos or branding that feature beavers and other cartoon mascots.
- The chain recently sued Beaver's Mini Mart, saying the Beavercreek store's logo infringes on Buc-ee's trademarks.
State of play: Cincy Shirts announced it's selling a Beaver's Mini Mart T-shirt, with proceeds helping fund the business's legal defense.
- "The response has been amazing so far," Cincy Shirts co-owner Darin Overholser tells Axios.
- "We saw the outrage on social media about the letter they received from the other buck-toothed mascot and figured we could lend a hand."
What they're saying: "We are very small. Leave us alone," Beaver's Mini Mart manager Harry Singh tells Axios of the legal matter, saying the store is grateful for the support from Cincy Shirts and customers who've made special trips to visit.
- "Thanks to the community — Cincinnati, Kentucky. Yesterday, one lady came from Washington, D.C. We really appreciate that."
The other side: Buc-ee's has not responded to an Axios request for comment.
Zoom out: The issue recently went national after HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" devoted a segment to the Buc-ee's legal strategy.
- Oliver criticized the chain and launched parody "Buc-Off" merchandise benefiting charity while daring Buc-ee's to sue HBO.
- The Beaver's Mini Mart lawsuit was filed shortly after the segment aired, bringing even more attention to the Ohio case.