McDonald's Lose Big Mac Trademark

If the Golden Arches look bowed in Europe today, there's a good reason. 

 

McDonald's lost a European Union trademark dispute over the Big Mac name after a top European Union court sided Wednesday with Irish fast-food rival Supermac's in a long-running legal battle. The Big Mac, first introduced in 1968, has been a cornerstone of McDonald's menu. 

 

This is what McDonald's get for being a big bully. In 2017, Galway-based Supermac's filed to register their name in the EU. When McDonald's learned about it, they dispatched their army of lawyers to flood the court with objections, claiming customers wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Big Mac hamburger and a restaurant called Supermac's. 

 

McDonald's efforts backfired spectacularly. Not only did they fail to force Supermac's to change their name, they lost their exclusive right to "Big Mac". 

 

Supermac's portrayed the decision as a David and Goliath-style victory. Managing Director Pat McDonagh accused McDonald's of "trademark bullying to stifle competition". 

 

In any case, McDonald's remain unfazed by the ruling, which can be appealed to the European Court of Justice, the bloc's highest court, but only on points of law.

 

"The decision by the EU General Court does not affect our right to use the 'BIG MAC' trademark", pouted McDonald's in a statement. "Our iconic Big Mac is loved by customers all across Europe, and we're excited to continue to proudly serve local communities, as we have done for decades".  😁😁

 

Still, it's noteworthy to mention that Supermac's sell a burger called Mighty Mac: "A succulent double burger complete with two 100% Irish beef patties, melted cheese, crispy lettuce, diced onion with ketchup and burger sauce served in a toasted sesame seed bun". 

 

McDonald's Big Mac, on the other hand, "starts with two 100% pure all beef patties and Big Mac sauce sandwiched between a sesame seed bun. It's topped off with pickles, crisp shredded lettuce, finely chopped onion, and a slice of American cheese". 

 

No confusion there! 😂😂