Convenience Store Chain Suing Over Circle-7 Logo

Agit “Sam” Nagra thought seven was his lucky number.

The corporation that owns 7-Eleven is suing Nagra and his Spokane Valley Circle-7 stores for trademark infringement.

The Dallas-based Southland Corp. filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Circle-7 Gas and Grocery and Nagra, its president.

Southland claims that the Circle-7 name and logo copy 7-Eleven’s wellknown mark.

Four Circle-7 convenience stores opened last October in what had previously been Circle-K stores at 32nd and Pines, Mission and Napa, Broadway and Evergreen and 34th and DishmanMica Road.

The 7-Eleven logo features a red and orange numeral seven with the word “Eleven” written through its center. The sign has a white and green background, with “Food Stores” in white lettering at the bottom.

The Circle-7 sign has a green numeral seven with a purple horizontal bar intersecting it. A circle of red, orange and purple stripes surround the number. It says “Gas & Groceries” at the bottom.

The lawsuit states that using the Circle-7 logo “falsely and deceptively represents the … convenience store services and products, and is likely to cause confusion with Southland’s use of its famous 7-Eleven name, marks and logos…”

Nagra, formerly of California, says that the name has nothing to do with either 7-Eleven or Circle-K.

“Seven is my lucky number,” Nagra said. He and his business partners chose the name, logo and colors together, he said. They checked the state office and found no other such name.

Anticipating some possible confusion with the names, they examined 7-Eleven’s signs, Nagra said.

“It’s totally different,” he said.

No customers have expressed confusion to Circle-7 workers about whether the convenience store is associated with 7-Eleven or Circle-K.

Southland claims the Circle-7 name and signs infringe its rights under the U.S. Trademark Act and the common law of the state of Washington.

The corporation is asking that Circle-7 not be allowed to use a logo with the numeral 7 prominent. It wants Circle-7 to surrender all materials, including labels, signs, wrappers and advertisements with that mark to Southland to be destroyed.

Southland is seeking treble damages in its lawsuit. Southland’s attorney John Bowman of Spokane has requested a jury trial.