Teddy’s Market fights back against Buc-ee’s trademark lawsuit in federal court

A cartoon animal feud that recently made its way onto late-night television has taken a turn in federal court, where a North Georgia convenience store operator is trying to strip Texas mega-store chain Buc-ee’s of its trademark protections.

HBO host John Oliver brought national attention to the spat on Last Week Tonight, poking fun at Buc-ee’s aggressive history of suing businesses with cartoon animal logos, highlighting Teddy’s Market in Georgia as an example.

In court, however, Teddy’s Market is pushing back. In filings obtained by Fox 5 Atlanta, the small convenience store and gas station chain asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit and strip Buc-ee’s of several federal trademark registrations.

Teddy’s Market accused the Texas giant of acting as a “trademark bully” and alleged that Buc-ee’s fraudulently obtained trademark protections by taking its logo design from “Bucky Beaver,” a character featured in vintage Ipana toothpaste ads.

Buc-ee’s initiated the legal battle in May, claiming that the teddy bear logo used by Teddy’s Market was confusingly similar to its own beaver symbol. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages, an order barring Teddy’s from using its current branding and the rejection of Teddy’s pending trademark applications.

Teddy’s Market contends that motorists are unlikely to mistake the two businesses. According to court filings, the chain operates two neighborhood BP convenience stores in Canton and Ball Ground, Georgia, equipped with four or five fuel pumps each.

The filing notes that Teddy’s Market uses no roadside billboards, mobile apps, loyalty programs or branded merchandise, and places its signs directly over entrance doors rather than on high-rise highway poles. By contrast, Buc-ee’s operates massive destination centers along major interstates with dozens of fueling stations.

The dispute in Georgia is part of a broader string of trademark lawsuits by Buc-ee’s against smaller businesses, including a federal lawsuit filed on July 28 against Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio.

In the Ohio case, Buc-ee’s claims a smiling rodent logo used by the shop creates customer confusion. Store owner Vik Boparai told The Cincinnati Enquirer that his family has used the branding since acquiring the store in 2017 — predating Buc-ee's first Ohio store opening in April 2026.

“I don’t know why they would sue a small business like mine,” Boparai told the paper. “I have two kids, and this store is how I feed them.”

The family has started a GoFundMe campaign for legal fees to prevent small stores from getting “swallowed up by big businesses.”

Buc-ee’s has not publicly addressed the allegations regarding the origin of its trademark. The case remains pending in federal court in Atlanta.