Casey's Fights Subway Over Use of 'Footlong'
ANKENY, Iowa -- Casey's General Stores is asking a federal jury to rule the word "footlong" is not the special property of Subway and its 12-inch-long sub sandwiches.
The c-store operator has filed a petition in U.S. District Court seeking a judgment that the term "footlong" is generic and violates nobody's trademark or patent, pending or otherwise, according to a report by The Des Moines Register.
Subway wrote Casey's a few weeks ago threatening legal action because Casey's is using the term "footlong" on signs and menus in one of its promotions, according to the newspaper. Subway has used the phrase "$5 footlong" or "five-dollar footlong" for advertising at its 34,000 stores in 93 countries for years.