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Taco Cabana International, Inc. v. Two Pesos, Inc. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A restaurant (Taco Cabana) sued a competitor (Two Pesos) for copying its distinctive “trade dress”—the overall look and feel. The court affirmed that trade dress can be protected under the Lanham Act without proof of secondary meaning if it is inherently distinctive.
Legal Significance: This case established in the Fifth Circuit that inherently distinctive trade dress is protectable under the Lanham Act without a showing of secondary meaning. This holding was later affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, solidifying a key principle of modern trade dress law.
Taco Cabana International, Inc. v. Two Pesos, Inc. Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Plaintiff Taco Cabana developed a distinctive trade dress for its Mexican fast-food restaurants, characterized by a festive atmosphere with a stepped exterior building, a vivid color scheme with neon stripes, distinctive decor, and a unique patio area with overhead garage doors. Defendant Two Pesos, Inc., subsequently opened a chain of restaurants that adopted a motif substantially similar to Taco Cabana’s. Before filing suit, Taco Cabana’s founders divided their business, creating a separate chain called “TaCasita” which, through a cross-licensing agreement, continued to use the original Taco Cabana trade dress. Taco Cabana sued Two Pesos for trade dress infringement under § 43(a) of the Lanham Act and for misappropriation of trade secrets under Texas law. A jury found that Taco Cabana’s trade dress was non-functional and inherently distinctive, but had not acquired secondary meaning in the Texas market. The jury also found a likelihood of confusion between the two restaurant chains and that Two Pesos had misappropriated Taco Cabana’s architectural plans.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Can a restaurant’s trade dress be protected under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act based on a finding of inherent distinctiveness alone, without proof that it has acquired secondary meaning in the market?
Yes. The court affirmed the judgment for Taco Cabana, holding that its Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo conse
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Can a restaurant’s trade dress be protected under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act based on a finding of inherent distinctiveness alone, without proof that it has acquired secondary meaning in the market?
Conclusion
This decision solidified the principle that inherently distinctive trade dress is protectable Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolor
Legal Rule
Trade dress is protectable under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act if Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in
Legal Analysis
The Fifth Circuit's analysis focused on several key principles of trade dress Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim a
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Inherently distinctive trade dress is protectable under the Lanham Act without