Texas travel-center giant Buc-ee's has settled its trademark infringement lawsuit against Mickey's, the Ohio convenience store chain, ending a legal fight that began in February over two cartoon animal mascots. Court records show the companies reached a confidential agreement on the "material terms" during a federal settlement conference on September 15.
Buc-ee's and Coles IP Holdings, the parent company of Mickey's, reached the agreement in the settlement conference, and the terms were not disclosed. The court record gives no indication of what was agreed, and neither company responded to requests for comment from USA Today. It remains unclear whether Mickey's will change its logo or signage as part of the deal.
Buc-ee's filed the original suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in February, arguing that Mickey's logo — a smiling cartoon moose inside a red hexagon — was too similar to its own well-known beaver branding. The complaint said both animals face right with wide eyes and a smile over a round background, a likeness that would likely confuse customers. Buc-ee's also objected to Mickey's transition from its former name, Mickey Mart, to "Mickey's," which it said closely resembled its own trademark.
Mickey's countersued in April, alleging unfair competition through malicious litigation and arguing that "Ohio consumers can readily distinguish a moose from a beaver," noting that cartoon animals are a common convenience store mascot. The Ohio chain accused the much larger Buc-ee's of trying to injure a smaller, family-owned business by forcing it to abandon branding built over decades or spend significant money defending it. Buc-ee's is known for aggressively enforcing its trademarks; television host John Oliver challenged the company on the July 26 episode of "Last Week Tonight," introducing merchandise featuring a similar logo and daring Buc-ee's to sue him.
The lawsuit landed just two months before Buc-ee's opened its first Ohio location in Huber Heights in April, which recorded over $1 million in sales on its opening day — a company record. The company plans a second Ohio location in Mansfield in the second quarter of 2028. Mickey's, by contrast, is a homegrown Ohio business that began in Milan in 1982 and has grown to 42 locations across northern Ohio.
The settlement does not end Buc-ee's trademark campaign. In July the company sued Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek over another alleged logo similarity, a case that remains pending and drew public support — including fundraising for the smaller store's legal expenses — with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine calling the case "ridiculous."