Buc-ee’s has filed a lawsuit against a small Missouri business over copyright infringement due to their use of a similar logo. 

Buc-ee’s filed the federal lawsuit this week against ‘Barc-ee’s,’ a Marshfield, Missouri business featuring a dog park, children’s play area, food shop, and coffee spot on Interstate 44 17 miles northeast of the Springfield Buc-ee’s. 

According to Springfield News-Leader, Barc-ee’s has been open for about two months with connections to EJL Acquisitions LLC and Home Away from Home Dog Training LLC, which are both named in the lawsuit. 

The suit claims that Barc-ee’s name and logo utilizes a  “colorful imitation” of the Buc-ee’s trademark. It says that Barc-ee’s use of a cartoon dog in a hat riding a pink car with a yellow circle background “mimics important aspects of the iconic Buc-ee’s logo,” citing Buc-ee’s frequent use of a red truck in association with the Buc-ee’s beaver. It claims the “friendly smiling cartoon animal” and the “hat placed on a brown animal with a red tongue and black nose,” is too similar to the Buc-ee’s logo and brand, and causes confusion for consumers. 

“[The infringement] places the valuable reputation and goodwill of Buc-ee’s in the hands of Defendants, over whom Buc-ee’s has no control. It further impairs the distinctiveness of the Buc-ee’s Trademarks,” the petition reads.

Barc-ee’s owner John Lopez has reportedly stated that he was inspired by the Buc-ee’s branding when opening the business. 

Buc-ee’s filed a similar lawsuit alleging copyright infringement against a Dallas, Texas area gas station chain earlier this year.