McFightin’ words

McDonald’s loses a rare trademark battle

The McDonald’s trademark is one the best-known in the world. Tread on even the ‘Mc’ prefix and the company will put a stop to it. That’s what happened when McBagel’s and McDharma’s opened shop in the U.S, and that’s what the company tried to do with a restaurant called McCurry in Malaysia. But in a surprising move this week, a Malaysian court said McCurry can keep its name. Malaysia’s Appeal Court overturned a 2006 ruling and said that McDonald’s can’t claim an exclusive right to the ‘Mc’ prefix and that McCurry had not tried to misrepresent itself with its name. It’s a rare loss for the restaurant giant, and also a rare example of the limits to McDonald’s influence around the world.

Chicago Tribune