Taco Bell is getting heated over trademark rights so the corporate can absolutely Stay Más.

The phrase “Taco Tuesday” is extensively utilized in a wide range of manners, from native restaurant promotions to dinner events. But it surely seems one firm really owns the rights to print and use the phrase commercially. That honor goes to the Midwest-based fast-food chain Taco John’s, which has owned the trademark since 1989.

This implies if Taco Bell needs to roll out a promotion, commercial, or any kind of branding that claims “Taco Tuesday,” they might face authorized motion from the rival taco chain if they don’t ask specific permission.

On (after all) Tuesday, Taco Bell formally filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace asking for the phrase “Taco Tuesday” to be “freely out there to all who make, promote, eat and have fun tacos.”

LLiberate Taco Tuesday Court FIling through Taco Bell

The model even made a cheeky play on the new lawsuit on social media, posting the catchy phrase on Twitter.

feeling chaotic…taco tuesday.

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) Could 16, 2023

The phrase originated at one Taco John’s restaurant as part of a promotional deal the place it will promote two tacos for 99 cents in an effort to enhance revenues on Tuesdays, which have been traditionally sluggish days for the corporate (initially spelled as ‘Taco Twosday’). It then expanded to different franchisees and was finally trademarked.

“Taco Bell has not reached out to us, so now we have no touch upon any doable trademark motion,” Taco John’s mentioned in an announcement to CNN relating to the brand new petition. “Taco John’s wish to thank our worthy rivals at Taco Bell for reminding everybody that ‘Taco Tuesday’ is finest celebrated at Taco John’s – the trademark proprietor of Taco Tuesday.”

Taco John’s has 40 days to reply to Taco Bell’s submitting. The choice can take upwards of two years to be made.

“Taco Bell seeks no damages or trademark rights in ‘Taco Tuesday.’ It merely seeks frequent sense for utilization of a standard time period,” Taco Bell mentioned in a launch relating to the authorized documentation. “In submitting the authorized petitions, Taco Bell is honoring folks’s proper to come back collectively and have fun the fun of tacos, on Tuesdays and each different day.”

Yum! Manufacturers was up 23.7% in a one-year interval as of Tuesday afternoon.