John Oliver Dares Litigious Buc-ee's to Sue Him

The Texas-based Buc-ee's chain seems to be swerving around John Oliver and his HBO budget and heading instead for much smaller prey. As the Verge reports, after the Last Week Tonight host openly dared the company to sue him over "Buc-Off" merch featuring a parody squirrel mascot, Buc-ee's has so far passed—while filing a new trademark case against a long-established Ohio mini-mart. As Tyler Buchanan at Axios Cincinnati notes, "It's tough to be a Buc-ee's fan in Ohio right now."

WDTN reports that Buc-ee's, which just entered Ohio this year, is suing Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, a decades-old local business, claiming its cartoon beaver logo is too close to Buc-ee's own. The complaint argues that the Beaver's character, with big eyes, a smile, and "red as a predominant color," could mislead customers. Oliver, meanwhile, has already beaten one high-profile lawsuit, a failed 2017 defamation case from coal executive Bob Murray. "So, if any prominent gas station chain out there has an issue with our new logo and products and wants to get lawyers involved, then you know what? Bring it the f--- on," Oliver says, noting that all merch proceeds go to Hunger Free America. "Although, remember, in doing so, you'd be directly taking food out of hungry people's mouths."