Is Oil Kosher in Indiana?

A real story from Convenience Store News today. It reminds me of finding a symbol displayed over a Circle K convenience store and gas station that looks very much like the OK kosher symbol a few years back. It's going to be more difficult to find gas and oil wih a Kof-K hechsher.

New Luke Oil Branding Not Kosher


October 11, 2009 -HOBART, Ind. -- The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America recently filed a lawsuit against Luke Oil Co., a convenience store operator headquartered here, over the company's new logo design, which the groups says resembles the trademarked OU kosher food symbol, the Post-Tribune reported. The group's suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Hammond, states that the company failed to remove the symbol from its logo. The symbol, a "U" inside of a circle, is used to indicate food items that are kosher, meaning properly prepared according to Jewish dietary law, David Butler, the group's lawyer, told the newspaper. The trademark's use is important for people who use it, to make sure they don't break Jewish law or eat something that isn't kosher, Butler said. The symbol has also been trademarked, which means it cannot be used without permission from the orthodox group, according to the report. Pictures included in the lawsuit show the symbol appearing next to the word "Luke" in various parts of Luke convenience stores, including above a wall of food and on a cup for fountain drinks, the Post-Tribune reported. "It's clearly not [kosher] here, and I don't know how or why Luke Oil decided to start using the patented mark in its new branding activity," Butler said. Luke Oil Vice President Tom Collins Jr. told NWI.com the new "Serving U" logo was rolled earlier this year and was centered around customer service. "We're just working towards a common ground where everyone's happy," Collins said.