Mcdonald's loses EU Big Mac trademark in dispute with Irish chain
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that McDonald's has lost the right to the EU trademark for Big Mac, which includes food made from poultry meat. This decision is a consequence of the dispute between the American giant and the Irish chain Supermac's.
This case pertains to using the mark about chicken sandwiches or food prepared from poultry, such as nuggets. It also involves related services, including delivering and selling these items in McDonald's restaurants and drive-thru locations.
On Wednesday, June 5, at 2:00 PM GMT, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that the American chain had not demonstrated genuine use of the mentioned trademark within the Union territory for an uninterrupted five years concerning the mentioned goods. Therefore, the CJEU declared the trademark invalid.
The CJEU decided on Big Mac at McDonald's
The case began seven years ago when the Irish chain Supermac's filed a request demanding that McDonald's be stripped of the Big Mac trademark for certain goods and services, which they argued the American giant had not used continuously for five years. The CJEU agreed.
It should be noted that McDonald's can appeal this decision. The Big Mac trademark was registered on behalf of the American chain by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in 1996.
