Zero Dark Buc-ee: Gun-toting beaver shirts prompt lawsuit against SC retailer
Buc-ee’s is going to war. The fast growing Texas-based gas station and convenience store chain is suing a South Carolina-based retailer for trademark violations.
At the center of the fight is Buc-ee the Beaver, the company’s iconic mascot who has a devoted following in his own right.
A new lawsuit filed May 27 in Charleston federal court alleges that Born United, which describes its missions as supporting “patriots and brands who believe in freedom,” violated the Buc-ee’s trademark when the company enlisted the famous wood-eating rodent in a line of merchandise equipped with a combat helmet, night vision goggles and armed with a high-powered assault rifle.
Despite receiving a cease-and-desist letter, the retailer has persisted in manufacturing and selling “slavish” copies of the Buc-ee’s logo, in violation of a trademark, according to the lawsuit filed by South Carolina law firm Parker Poe and the California-based Blakely Law Group.
The design could “mislead” customers into believing that this was a legitimate Buc-ee’s product and demonstrates a “bad faith” attempt to capitalize on Buc-ee’s “established goodwill and reputation,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit accuses Born United of engaging in false advertising, unfair competition and infringing on the brand’s trademark with a line of shorts, patches and T-shirts bearing the militarized beaver over the Born United name, surrounded by the banner “An American Tradition.”
T-shirts bearing TAC-BUCC (short for Tactical Buc-ee) sell for $32, according to screenshots included in the lawsuit. Patches are available for $10 while shorts run close to $50. A review of Born United’s website suggests that the merchandise with Buc-ee’s logo is no longer available.
A message left with Cameron Bechtold, Born United’s owner, was not returned.
“Buc-ee’s has invested heavily in innovation across the company to provide the best quality products and experience for our customers. Buc-ee’s will not remain an idle spectator while others infringe the intellectual property rights that Buc-ee’s has worked so hard to develop,” wrote Buc-ee’s general counsel, Jeff Nadalo, in response to an inquiry from The State.
Buc-ee’s is a vigilant defender of their trademark. Among the lawsuits are two Missouri companies, a gas station and liquor store named Duckees and a dog-friendly coffee shop named Barc-ee’s. The coffee shop said it was forced to close following the lawsuit, according to USA Today.
Buc-ee’s attracts dedicated following
Founded in Texas in 1982, Buc-ee’s gas station and convenience store chain has more than 50 locations across nine states, including Missouri, Colorado, Florida and Kentucky. When South Carolina’s first, and so far only, Buc-ee’s opened its doors in Florence in 2022, Gov. Henry McMaster was there for the ribbon cutting. A second, 74,000 foot location is expected to open in Anderson County in 2026.
The chain, which is open 24 hours a day every day of the year, has attracted a cult following for its huge number of pumps, sparkling clean bathrooms, barbecue sandwiches, unique snacks and, of course, the chain’s mascot, Buc-ee the Beaver.
Inspired by the nickname of Buc-ee’s founder, Arch “Beaver” Aplin, the bucktoothed, water-dwelling rodent sporting a red cap on a red background gazing upwards with optimistic eyes has become an iconic image.
The logo, called “Buc-ee’s Marks” in the lawsuit, has remained largely unchanged since 2007.
“Buc-ee’s has built substantial goodwill in the Buc-ee’s Marks, which is of incalculable and inestimable value to Buc-ee’s,” according to the lawsuit. The company carefully polices the use of the logo to ensure its association with “quality goods,” according to the lawsuit.
It’s sold on hats, water bottles, neck pillows, pajamas and bikinis. You can even buy six-foot-tall holiday inflatables featuring Buc-ee dressed in a Santa hat. Some devotees even take the unsanctioned step of having Buc-ee tattooed on their body.
What is Born United?
Born United, which is registered in Goose Creek, sells products online and in stores in South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Indiana and Tennessee. It primarily sells gun and military-themed apparel and President Donald Trump merchandise. It operates under the slogan “bringing brands together that stand for freedom.”
The company is registered in Goose Creek, South Carolina, to Bechtold. On his LinkedIn page, Bechtold describes himself as Born United’s founder and owner.
In addition to manufacturing its own private line of clothing, Born United carries apparel and merchandise from brands including Grunt Style, Palmetto State Armory, Nine Line Apparel and Savage Tactician.
But Buc-ee is not the only iconic character that Born United has dressed for combat. Its website t-shirts and patches of heavily armed versions of characters in the public domain, including Mickey Mouse or the honey-loving bear, Winnie the Pooh taking aim through a rifle over the words “Winnie the Pew.”
While some of those characters are in the public domain, Born United is selling merchandise of characters where companies retain trademarks. These include:
The Cat in the Hat, owned by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, wearing night vision goggles on his stovepipe hat, armed with an Uzi sub-machine gun re-branded as “the Cat with the Gat.”
- Darth Vader, the iconic Star Wars villain currently owned with Disney, armed with an assault rifle
- Kirby, a pink alien and popular Nintendo video game character, also toting an Uzi.
- Early video game character Pac-Man, owned by Japanese multi-national Namco Bandai, re-branded as “Tac-Man.”
- Warner Bro’s owned Looney Tunes, including Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote, Porky Pig and Tweety Bird, re-imagined as the heavily armed “Looney Goons.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM.