If pesky trademarks have been stopping you from being a meat-grilling European entrepreneur, then boy do I have some good news for you. The European Union has revoked McDonald’s Big Mac trademark. The European court essentially ruled that McDonald’s was not using its trademark correctly and thus others could begin taking it up. The case stems from the ubiquitous restaurant chain trying to stop an Irish burger joint called Supermac from using its name.
While this is certainly a big win for Supermac, given that it doesn’t have to change its branding, this ruling also means that the Big Mac trademark in Europe is currently null and void. So, if you want to make a French burger option that has the words “big” or “mac” in it, now would be the time. Might I suggest a burger called the “Big ol’ mac a doodle”? It has a ring, no?
Historically, McDonald’s has been extremely litigious with its trademarks. Reuters reports that it has gone after a dentist who offered services called “McDental” and another company who tried to trademark “MACCOFFEE.” Usually, the company is successful in protecting its IP domain, but this time Supermac prevailed.
In a statement to CNBC, McDonald’s said it plans to appeal the decision. “We are disappointed in the EUIPO’s decision and believe this decision did not take into account the substantial evidence submitted by McDonald’s proving use of our BIG MAC mark throughout Europe,” the spokesperson said.
But until that happens, get your butt to Europe and start selling some Big Mac burgers!
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