Buc-ee’s Opposes ‘Nut Huggers’ Trademark in Latest Brand Enforcement Push

By Josh Gerben, Esq.

Published: November 26, 2025 Published: November 26, 2025

Buc-ee’s is back on the trademark warpath.

In a November 25 filing with the USPTO, the Texas chain moved to block a trademark application for ‘Nut Huggers,’ an underwear brand whose squirrel logo Buc-ee’s says looks a little too much like its famous beaver.

In its filing with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, Buc-ee’s argues that its beaver logo has become an iconic American brand, likening its recognition to household names such as Apple and Costco. The company even cites a CBS News segment praising its mascot, noting that “not since Mickey Mouse has a cartoon character captured the hearts of so many.”

The opposition highlights Buc-ee’s wide brand footprint, pointing out that the beaver logo appears not only on fuel stations and food products but also on a large array of merchandise, including hats, pajamas, shirts, underwear, and bumper stickers.

Examples of Buc-ee’s-branded clothing

Buc-ee’s contends that the Nut Huggers logo features a similar formula: a brown-and-white cartoon animal with buck teeth and large eyes placed against a rounded background. According to Buc-ee’s, this similarity, combined with Nut Huggers’ sale of clothing, could mislead consumers into believing the products are produced, endorsed, or sold by Buc-ee’s.

The company argues that the overall commercial impression of the Nut Huggers logo is close enough that confusion is likely, and therefore, the application should be refused.

The case is the latest in what has become an aggressive year of brand enforcement for Buc-ee’s, which has filed multiple trademark oppositions and at least one federal lawsuit in 2025. The company has historically taken an expansive view of policing its intellectual property and routinely challenges marks involving cartoon mammals.

The case may be a tough nut to crack

From a trademark-law standpoint, Buc-ee’s is going to face an uphill battle here.

Yes, both logos involve cartoon animals with big eyes and big teeth inside a circular background, but that’s where the similarities largely end.

The Nut Huggers design features a squirrel, not a beaver, and it appears only alongside the words ‘Nut Huggers.’ That context matters.

The entire “nut huggers” concept is a joke connected to underwear, and the design reinforces that joke. When you view the mark as a whole, which is the name plus the squirrel hugging its nuts, it creates a very different commercial impression from the Buc-ee’s beaver.

And that’s a key point. The legal question isn’t whether Buc-ee’s can articulate some visual similarities. It’s whether an average consumer would encounter the Nut Huggers logo and think:

“That must be Buc-ee’s,” or “Buc-ee’s must own this.”

In my opinion, that would be a stretch.

If this case were to go all the way to trial, I think Nut Huggers would have a strong chance of winning. But, as I tell clients all the time, most trademark disputes never reach trial because the cost and risk are so high for both sides.

If the parties were to settle, I’d expect the terms to look something like this:

• Nut Huggers always uses its squirrel logo together with the words ‘Nut Huggers.‘
  This eliminates the possibility that someone sees the squirrel on its own and confuses it with Buc-ee’s.
• Nut Huggers limits its use to online apparel sales, not sprawling roadside megastores.
  This keeps the businesses in clearly separate worlds.

Under those conditions, the two marks should be able to coexist without any meaningful risk of confusion.

The bigger backdrop here is Buc-ee’s aggressive enforcement trend in 2025. They’ve filed dozens of oppositions and even pursued federal litigation. This isn’t unusual for large companies. They often see trademark enforcement as money well spent to keep a wide berth around their brand.

But there’s a real cost: these campaigns can force smaller businesses to spend money they don’t have defending themselves against questionable claims

We’ll see how this one plays out, but one thing is certain: Nut Huggers is about to hold on for dear life as it squares off against the 10,000-pound beaver in the room.

A look at trademark oppositions filed by Buc-ee’s

Data as of November 26, 2025

wdt_ID	wdt_created_by	wdt_created_at	wdt_last_edited_by	wdt_last_edited_at	Buc-ee's Trademark	Opposed Trademark	Link to Opposition
1							91233434
2					BEAVER NUGGETS	DAM TASTY BEAVERS	91301597
3							91285010
4							91283344
5							91283345
6					BEAVER'S		91303257
7					BUC-EE'S		91297622
8							91303324
9							91283349
10							91283348
11					BUC-EE'S	BUCKY ROOSTER'S	91293645
12					BUC-EE'S	BUCKY BALL	91303323
13					BUC-EE'S	BUCKY'S	91228979
14					BUC-EE'S	BUCKYS	91296071
15					BUC-EE'S	BUCKO'S COFFEE	91286734
16						BEAVER LUBRICANTS	91296073
17					BUC-EE'S	BUCKY'S BEST PIZZA COMPANY	91268382
18							91283346
19							91283350
20					BUC-EE'S	BUCKY'S	91177801
21							91300361

A look at trademark cancellations filed by Buc-ee’s

Data as of November 26, 2025

wdt_ID	wdt_created_by	wdt_created_at	wdt_last_edited_by	wdt_last_edited_at	Buc-ee's Trademark	Cancelled Trademark	LInk to Cancellation
1					BUC-EE'S	BUCKY'S	92067005
2						BUKI	92089246
3							92089206
4							92064689

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Josh Gerben, Esq.

Josh Gerben, Esq. is a nationally recognized trademark attorney and the founder of Gerben IP. Since launching the firm in 2008, he has overseen the registration of over 10,000 trademarks and handled over 1,500 trademark disputes. Josh's practice focuses on building and defending global trademark portfolios for clients. These clients include entrepreneurs, private equity-backed businesses, athletes, celebrities, and public companies. Frequently quoted by major media outlets like CNBC, CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Josh is widely regarded as a leading authority in trademark law.