Taco Bell Is Campaigning To Liberate ‘Taco Tuesday’ For Everyone

“Taco Tuesday” has been part of the common lexicon for years. Turns out, the phrase actually belongs to a single taco chain—Taco John’s—which has trademarked the term for over three decades, long before it became an ingrained part of American culture.

Now, Taco Bell has begun a public campaign to “liberate” the popular phrase from the grip of a single company, so that the pair of words can be used by “all who make, sell, eat, and celebrate tacos.”

And it’s serious about it. Recently, the restaurant appealed to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, a subsection of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to nullify Taco John’s trademark registration.

According to Taco Bell, Taco John’s has the rights to the trademark in 49 states, while a separate company, Gregory’s, happens to own the term in New Jersey. This isn’t the first time the battle over the term has made it to the news.

As USA Today pointed out, Vice penned an article about the matter in 2017, in light of the cease and desist letters Taco John’s was sending to other businesses infringing on its trademark—even going so far as to stop social media accounts from using the hashtag #TacoTuesday.

“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,” said Taco Bell in a statement.

“Taco Bell seeks no damages or trademark rights in ‘Taco Tuesday’. It simply seeks common sense for usage of a common term. In filing the legal petitions, Taco Bell is honoring people’s right to come together and celebrate the joy of tacos,” it added.

To support the cause, fans can sign the ‘Freeing Taco Tuesday’ petition here.

[via Marketing Dive and USA Today, images via Taco Bell]