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Taco Bell is on a mission to cancel the federal trademarks for “Taco Tuesday.” The multi-billion dollar company launched a campaign, on Tuesday, filing legal petitions to “liberate the phrase for restaurants nationwide.”
© Taco BellTaco Johns, which started as a small taco stand in Cheyenne, WY back in 1969, trademarked the term in 1989.
Taco Bell announced its mission on its website, sharing photos of the petition via the USPTO Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. “Taco Bell believes ‘Taco Tuesday’ should belong to all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos,” they argued in their statement.
“The very essence of ‘Taco Tuesday’ is to celebrate the commonality amongst people of all walks of life who come together every week to celebrate something as simple, yet culturally phenomenal, as the taco,” the company said. “How can anyone Live Más if they’re not allowed to freely say, ‘Taco Tuesday?’ It’s pure chaos.”
The famous bell said they are not seeking damages or trademark rights with the legal petition, and, “Is honoring people’s right to come together and celebrate the joys of tacos, on Tuesdays and every other day.” The home of the Crunchwrap Supreme started a change.org petition and is aiming to get 1000 signatures.
Taco John’s currently operates nearly 400 locations nationwide, mostly in the Midwest. They responded to the petition, Tuesday calling Taco Bell a “bad bully.”
“When it comes right down to it, we’re lovers, not fighters, at Taco John’s,” Chief Executive Jim Creel said in a public statement. “But when a big, bad bully threatens to take away the mark our forefathers originated so many decades ago, well, that just rings hollow to us. If ‘living más’ means filling the pockets of Taco Bell’s army of lawyers, we’re not interested.”
The first trademark in the United States was registered on August 30, 1870, under the Trademark Act of 1870. Taco John has the trademark in 49 states, except New Jersey. As noted by LA Times Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar holds the patent on the phrase in New Jersey. They filed for it in 1979 and were awarded it in 1982. They began serving tacos on a Tuesday night in 1972.
Taco Bell is also coming for Gregor’s trademark and is aiming to cancel it there as well.
