This is from a while back but I came across it scrolling through Instagram. Back in 2019, Mcdonald’s lost a trademark battle regarding their iconic Big Mac burger and the prefix “Mc” against Irish burger chain Supermacs. (McDonald’s Loses Trademark Battle) The article I linked explains a bit of the legal battle. This instance has been described as trademark bullying and McDonald’s wasn’t able to prove genuine use of the prefix “Mc” or “Big Mac” in Europe (McDonald’s Loses 2nd Trademark Battle) I think another factor in this decision was the ubiquity of the prefix “Mc” in Ireland, the UK, and throughout the EU. A lot of last names start with “Mc” and thus a lot of businesses use “Mc” in their names. This prompted some Swedish Burger King chains to troll McDonald’s changing their menu item names to poke fun at the golden arches. I got a little kick out of it, I thought I’d share it with the class.
– Amit Chandi
Communications Law