A federal lawsuit filed last week by In-N-Out Burger is claiming a YouTube prankster’s antics are most certainly not what the fast-food joint’s hamburgers are all about.
Saying the restaurant cares deeply about its “customers, the good will … and the associates who work tirelessly to uphold that brand,” the lawsuit against Bryan Arnett, of Fillmore, alleges he commercially benefitted from his content creation by violating their trademarks.
The complaint alleges Arnett trespassed and then committed trademark infringement, false designation and defamation.
An attorney for In-N-Out on Tuesday declined to confirm the locations of restaurants posted on social media accounts, including pictures and posts from local customers who claimed to have been “pranked” by Arnett. One person claimed to have seen Arnett at The Old Road location on Easter, when it was closed, which is an incident mentioned in the lawsuit.
However, the lawsuit was filed in response to multiple incidents, and it’s about sending a message, according to a statement from Arnie Wensinger, In-N-Out’s chief legal and business officer:
“‘Recently, we have seen an increase in online media personalities who have chosen to play pranks or practical jokes that are designed to embarrass, humiliate or upset our customers, their families and our associates. These individuals have engaged in behavior that includes deception, trespass, lewdness and other actions that have been posted on social media for their personal and monetary gain at the expense of our customers and the In-N-Out Burger brand,’” said Joelle Leib, an attorney for In-N-Out, reading Wensinger’s statement in a phone interview Tuesday. “’By filing this lawsuit, we are putting all such individuals on notice that In-N-Out Burger will aggressively pursue all legal rights against these individuals going forward.’”
Starting in April, Arnett was “repeatedly impersonating an In-N-Out associate in order to abuse In-N-Out customers’ trust, filming those customers without their consent, and then willfully disseminating these videos online.”
The complaint alleges a handful of specific false allegations by Arnett regarding In-N-Out:
“Among other things, Arnett filmed himself and accomplices (1) interacting with customers as if he were an In-N-Out associate as he made lewd, derogatory, and profane remarks, such as stating that In-N-Out had cockroaches … in its food, and that In-N-Out associates put their feet in lettuce served to customers; (2) offering food products ‘doggy style,’” as well as other lewd and sexually suggestive statements.
The federal lawsuit also details 11 examples of In-N-Out trademarks, from the crossed palm trees to its uniform, which it alleges Arnett violated for financial gain. His channel has approximately 334,000 subscribers and his latest videos average between 30,000 and 50,000 views, according to figures available online.
The lawsuit alleges the defendant’s “defamatory, insulting, racially insensitive, bizarre and lewd remarks” were made while Arnett was wearing the uniform of an employee. The lawsuit also claims the defendant refused to respond to the plaintiff’s request to take down the alleged trademark infringement.
“On May 2, 2025, plaintiff wrote to defendant requesting that he (a) remove any and all social media posts that depict, reference, or relate in any way to In-N-Out, its customers, and its associates, (b) destroy any and all props relating to In-N-Out, and (c) agree to refrain from making videos about In-N-Out in the future,” according to the complaint. “Although that May 2, 2025, letter requested a response by May 9, 2025, as of June 20, 2025, defendant has failed to respond to plaintiff’s demand letter or remove any posts defaming In-N-Out from his online platforms.”
The lawsuit is seeking immediate injunctive relief for the alleged violations.
There was no future hearing date immediately available in the available records online.
The Signal has reached out to Arnett for comment. A review of his social media sites indicates that some of his videos are no longer visible to the public.
