Just about every wild creature is prey for something else higher up on the food chain. For cartoon mascots, the scariest critter of all might be a beaver sporting a red baseball cap and a decidedly litigious attitude. Could salvation from trademark infringement lawsuits for the little guys be taking the form of a giant squirrel mascot?
Whether it’s due to the size of the mascot or the willingness of a well-funded television show to step into the legal ring, Buc-ee’s is apparently not interested in taking up “Last Week Tonight’s” challenge to sue them over host John Oliver’s blatant and deliberate branding violations. The gas station chain has filed more than a dozen trademark lawsuits against businesses, including small convenience stores, apparel companies, and other entities, many of which feature cartoon animal mascots and circular logo designs similar to Buc-ee’s beaver branding. Instead of squaring off after Oliver’s offer during a July 26, 2026 episode, Buc-ee’s filed suit two days later against Beaver’s Mini Mart, a tiny market in Beavercreek, Ohio, that happens to be about 15 miles from where Buc-ee’s opened a new location.
The dare issued by “Last Week Tonight” highlights how larger corporations like Buc-ee’s can often intimidate and push around smaller businesses because they have deeper legal resources. It also shows how unorthodox approaches can sometimes produce unexpected results.
Moose, Squirrel, and Maybe Beaver
For those who haven’t driven the highways of Texas and the American Southeast, encountering a Buc-ee’s for the first time can be a little overwhelming. The rapidly expanding gas station-slash-convenience store chain embodies the “big” part of “bigger and better.” There’s a lot of everything within a Buc-ee’s walls, with one store checking in at over 75,000 square feet (!) of space inside. Locations sell barbecue, freshly baked goods, and possibly all the jerky and energy drinks in the world.
Buc-ee’s also aggressively protects its brand, especially the logo. It features a three-quarters profile of a cartoon beaver wearing a red ballcap in a black-edged yellow circle, with “Buc-ee’s” below it in a distinctive font. Critics, including the “Last Week Tonight” segment and other commentators, describe Buc-ee’s as a “trademark bully,” arguing that it uses trademark infringement, unfair competition, and deceptive trade practices lawsuits to push smaller competitors around. When faced with Buc-ee’s fiscal and legal advantages, most choose to change their logos and branding or to give up completely.
The “Last Week Tonight” segment argued that Buc-ee’s has a proclivity to attack logos for spurious reasons, knowing that their targets were unlikely to fight back. This includes a 2026 lawsuit filed against Mickey Mart, which is rebranding as ‘Mickey’s,’ and has a logo featuring a moose, not a beaver. The complaint alleges that Mickey’s logos incorporate a smiling cartoon moose facing right with wide eyes and a smile, overlaid on a round background and using red as a predominant color, and that these elements make the logo confusingly similar to Buc-ee’s beaver mascot and branding, creating a likelihood of consumer confusion.
Oliver Launches a ‘Buc-Off’
While some maintain that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, Buc-ee’s may not be too pleased at finding itself in the crosshairs of “Last Week Tonight.” The news satire program has won 32 Emmys and three Peabody Awards for its unorthodox reporting style. It’s also displayed a willingness to enter courtroom battles, as evidenced by its triumph in a 2017 defamation suit filed by coal baron Bob Murray, who was previously the subject of a segment. Oliver’s victory lap included the introduction of Mr. NutterButter, a squirrel mascot who cursed out Murray, and a musical number mocking Murray after a segment on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits.
Perhaps channeling the same sort of resentment from Murray’s attempt to throw his company’s weight around, the “Last Week Tonight” segment on Buc-ee’s legal methods led to Oliver revealing a new branding campaign for Mr. NutterButter. It included a logo intentionally identical to Buc-ee’s, down to the black-trimmed yellow background circle and three-quarter profile. To further provoke Buc-ee’s, Oliver announced the launch of Buc-Off.com, a website offering products emblazoned with the new logo.
Would Buc-ee’s have a slam-dunk trademark infringement lawsuit if they pursue legal action against “Last Week Tonight”? We may never find out, as the chain has publicly suggested it doesn’t plan on filing against Buc-Off at this time. Whether that’s due to proceeds from the site going to the Hunger Free America organization, the desire to avoid further bad press, or the unwillingness to square off against a foe with equitable resources is unknown. Regardless, little shops like Beaver’s Mini Mart and Mickey Mart are happy to have the HBO show on their side.
