Taco Bell parent company Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) made a lot of money from the wildly popular "!Yo quiero Taco Bell!" commercials, but it turns out that they stiffed the creators of the ad campaign.In 2003 a Michigan jury found that the company didn't pay Tom Rinks and Joe Shields, the creators of the dog. Taco Bell turned around and sued advertising agency TBWA Chiat/Day, charging that that company was responsible for the stiffing.
But on Friday the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's ruling holding Taco Bell responsible for the payments. Taco Bell is now on the hook for $42 million.
Given its market cap of $13.2 billion, the ruling is not material to the company's performance.
And even with the extra $42 million in expenses, the ad campaign certainly paid for itself many, many times over.
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