• Law Study Aids
    • Case Briefs
    • Lessons
      • 1L
        • Civil Procedure
        • Constitutional Law
        • Contracts
        • Criminal Law
        • Property Law
        • Torts
      • 2L/3L
        • Business Associations
        • Criminal Procedure
        • Evidence
        • Family Law
        • Secured Transactions
        • Wills, Trusts & Estates
    • Outlines
      • 1L
        • Civil Procedure
        • Constitutional Law
        • Contracts
        • Criminal Law
        • Property Law
        • Torts
      • 2L/3L
        • Agency
        • Business Associations
        • Conflicts of Law
        • Corporations
        • Criminal Procedure
        • Evidence
        • Family Law
        • Partnerships
        • Secured Transactions
      • Exam Prep Checklists
        • Access 1L Checklists
          • Civil Procedure
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts
        • Access 2L/3L Checklists
          • Agency
          • Criminal Procedure
          • Corporations/Business Entities
          • Evidence
          • Family Law
          • Partnership
          • Trusts
          • U.C.C. ART. 9
          • Wills
    • Refresher Courses
      • 1L
        • Constitutional Law
        • Contracts Law
        • Criminal Law
        • Property Law
        • Torts Law
      • 2L/3L
        • Criminal Procedure
        • Evidence Law
    • Exam Prep Pro
      • 1L
        • Civil Procedure
        • Constitutional Law
        • Contracts
        • Criminal Law
        • Property Law
        • Torts
      • 2L/3L
        • Criminal Procedure
        • Evidence
    • Multiple Choice Quizzes
      • 1L
        • Civil Procedure
        • Constitutional Law
        • Contracts
        • Criminal Law
        • Property Law
        • Torts
      • 2L/3L
        • Criminal Procedure
        • Evidence
    • Exam Prep Workshops
      • 1L
        • Civil Procedure
        • Constitutional Law
        • Contracts
        • Criminal Law
        • Property Law
        • Torts
    • Charts and Notes
      • 1L
        • Civil Procedure
        • Constitutional Law
        • Contracts
        • Criminal Law
        • Property Law
        • Torts
      • 2L/3L
        • Criminal Procedure
        • Evidence
  • Courses
    • Practice Ready Workshop
    • 1L Prep Course
    Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors
    Advanced Search | Notes Search
    Start My FREE 7-DAY Trial
    Log In
    StuddyBuddy Pro
    Apple
    Facebook
    Google

    Forgot Password?

    Forgotten Password

    Cancel

    Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors

    • Law Study Aids
      • Case Briefs
      • Lessons
        • 1L
          • Civil Procedure
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts
        • 2L/3L
          • Business Associations
          • Criminal Procedure
          • Evidence
          • Family Law
          • Secured Transactions
          • Wills, Trusts & Estates
      • Outlines
        • 1L
          • Civil Procedure
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts
        • 2L/3L
          • Agency
          • Business Associations
          • Conflicts of Law
          • Corporations
          • Criminal Procedure
          • Evidence
          • Family Law
          • Partnerships
          • Secured Transactions
        • Exam Prep Checklists
          • Access 1L Checklists
            • Civil Procedure
            • Constitutional Law
            • Contracts
            • Criminal Law
            • Property Law
            • Torts
          • Access 2L/3L Checklists
            • Agency
            • Criminal Procedure
            • Corporations/Business Entities
            • Evidence
            • Family Law
            • Partnership
            • Trusts
            • U.C.C. ART. 9
            • Wills
      • Refresher Courses
        • 1L
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts Law
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts Law
        • 2L/3L
          • Criminal Procedure
          • Evidence Law
      • Exam Prep Pro
        • 1L
          • Civil Procedure
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts
        • 2L/3L
          • Criminal Procedure
          • Evidence
      • Multiple Choice Quizzes
        • 1L
          • Civil Procedure
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts
        • 2L/3L
          • Criminal Procedure
          • Evidence
      • Exam Prep Workshops
        • 1L
          • Civil Procedure
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts
      • Charts and Notes
        • 1L
          • Civil Procedure
          • Constitutional Law
          • Contracts
          • Criminal Law
          • Property Law
          • Torts
        • 2L/3L
          • Criminal Procedure
          • Evidence
    • Courses
      • Practice Ready Workshop
      • 1L Prep Course
    Start My FREE 7-DAY Trial
    Log In Sign up
    StuddyBuddy Pro
    Apple
    Facebook
    Google

    Forgot Password?

    Forgotten Password

    Cancel
    0
    To print, please Start a Free Trial or Log in.

    Confirm favorite deletion?

    Cancel Yes, Delete

    Contracts Keyed to Ayres

    Wrench, LLC v. Taco Bell Corp.

    Melissa A. Hale

    ProfessorMelissa A. Hale

    CaseCast™ "What you need to know"

    CaseCast™ –  "What you need to know"

    play_circle_filled
    pause_circle_filled
    Wrench, LLC v. Taco Bell Corp.
    volume_down
    volume_up
    volume_off
    To continue listening to this CaseCast™ please Subscribe

    Facts

    Plaintiff created and promoted a cartoon chihuahua known as “Psycho Chihuahua.” Employees of Defendant’s creative services department saw the character at a trade show and approached Plaintiff about using the character in retail licensing. Plaintiff then hired a licensing agent to continue communications with the Taco Bell employees. Those discussions grew to include advertising, although Defendant’s marketing department was not yet involved. Plaintiff’s licensing agent sent Defendant a proposal for use of the chihuahua character, providing that Defendant would pay Plaintiff a percentage of the amount spent on advertising, a percentage of the retail licensing sales, and a percentage based upon the cost of items such as chihuahua toys sold at Defendant’s restaurants. Defendant neither accepted nor rejected the proposal. Discussions continued and Defendant asked Plaintiff to prepare a presentation for its marketing department. The presentation was prepared, but never given. The creative services department remained interested in the use of the character, however. At this time, Defendant hired a new advertising agency. This agency had previously created a commercial for an automobile company that featured a driving chihuahua and now proposed a commercial for Defendant showing a chihuahua choosing Defendant’s food over a female chihuahua. Plaintiff had previously proposed the same idea. The employees from Defendant’s creative services department still wanted to use Plaintiff’s character and wanted to persuade the marketing department to approve the idea. The materials for a campaign featuring Psycho Chihuahua were passed on to the marketing department, who then sent them to the new advertising agency. A few months later, Defendant aired commercials using a chihuahua saying “Yo quiero Taco Bell.” The commercials were very successful and Defendant continues to use the character. Plaintiff sued Defendant for breach of implied-in-fact contract, misappropriation, conversion, and unfair competition. Defendant moved for summary judgment on all claims, arguing that no implied-in-fact contract was created, and that even if one existed, it was preempted by federal copyright law. Defendant also argued that the idea to use a chihuahua came from its new advertising agency only and that Plaintiff’s ideas were not novel.  

    Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*

    Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.

    *Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue

    • The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
    • Topic:

      Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.
    • Parties:

      Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.
    • Procedural Posture & History:

      Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.
    • Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:

      A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.
    • Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:

      Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
    Start Your Free Trial or Log in.
    • The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
    • Brief Facts:

      A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.
    • Rule of Law:

      Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.
    • Facts:

      What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.
    • Issue(s):

      Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.
    • Holding:

      Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.
    • Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:

      Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.
    • Reasoning and Analysis:

      Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
    Start Your Free Trial or Log in.
    • The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
    • Policy:

      Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.
    • Court Direction:

      Shares where the Court went from here for this case.
    Start Your Free Trial or Log in.

    Topic Resources

    Topic Video

    Wrench, LLC v. Taco Bell Corp.12m 9s
    See complete Lesson, Quizzes and More

    Status:

    Your Law School
    Success Begins Here

    • Case Briefs - the Socratic Savior! – Best in class and Largest Library of complete I.R.A.C. / C.R.E.A.C. Law School case briefs. Includes:
      • SmartBriefs® - Enhanced case briefs for optimal clarity
      • CaseCast® - Professor overviews of "What you need to know"
      • New MarginBrief® - A.I. - Powered for faster, more efficient case recall
    • Lessons - Professor delivered video for topic reinforcement
    • Outlines - Professor written - downloadable, amendable and includes test-taking tips and tools
    • Refresher Courses - Quick course reviews with interactive exercises
    • Quizzes and Exams - over 5,000 Multiple Choice and Essay questions all Professor curated and answered
    • Exam Prep Workshops - Delivered by Professors on how to disect, organize and answer law school exam questions
    • and so much more ...
    Start your FREE Trial

    Notepad Click anywhere in notepad to add a note

    Wrench, LLC v. Taco Bell Corp.