McDonald's loses trademark battle in Malaysia

[Coventina]

Source: Chicago Tribune

When it comes to its famous trademarks, McDonald's Corp. is known for McFightin'. But it came up a loser Wednesday in Malaysia, where a court ruled that an Indian restaurant can keep the name McCurry.

The case highlights a never-ending battle for big consumer-products companies: staving off alleged attempts to hijack their marquee brands.

"When you get a mark like McDonald's or Coca-Cola or 7-Eleven, it's a constant policing effort," said Craig Fochler, a trademark lawyer at Foley & Lardner in Chicago. And McDonald's has a "history of being very aggressive" when it believes someone is trespassing on its trademarks, he said.

The Oak Brook-based fast-food giant took offense at McCurry Restaurant, a Malaysian joint that maintains its name is an abbreviation for Malaysian Chicken Curry. McDonald's considers the "Mc" prefix to be its intellectual property.


Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-thu-mc-mcdonalds-0430-apr30,0,2119138.story

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Boy, I sure feel bad for McDonald's ---NOT!

Hey McDonald's! How's that case against Scotland going?! :eyes:

[beac]

1. McPwned.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of McJerks.

[intheflow]

2. Rec'ing b/c it's so wonderful to watch Goliath fall. n/t

[JNelson6563]

3. I'm lovin' it.

Yeah, I went there. ;-)

[BuddhaGirl]

4. ROFL!!!

n/t

[Downwinder]

5. How much is McDonald's trademark worth?

Shouldn't they be paying local property tax on it?

[Mist]

6. McDonald's tried to restrict use of the letter "M" in England a few years ago. Lost that too. nt

[NV Whino]

7. What's next, McMansions?

[JonLP24]

8. McDowell was unavailable for comment

[Aristus]

9. Remember when Anheuser-Busch tried to sue the town of Budweis in the Czech Republic

because of the beer they've been brewing under the name of Budweiser for the last 600 years or so?

Stupidity and chutzpah are a bad combination.