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IRISH FAST FOOD chain Supermac’s has won a landmark ruling against McDonald’s to cancel the ownership of the ‘Mc’ trademark in the EU.
The judgment from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) revoked McDonald’s ‘Mc’ trademark on all foods except chicken nuggets and sandwiches.
This decision was made on 31 July.
The use of this prefix now has to go through a proof of use test, as requested by Supermac’s. The EUIPO is the agency through which trade marks and designs are registered in the European Union.
Managing Director of Supermac’s Ireland Pat McDonagh welcomed the ruling and said the company is tired of “trademark bullying”.
“McDonald’s tried to argue that because they had some products that started with Mc that the term Mc was so synonymous with them that they had the right to own and trademark,” McDonagh said in a statement.
“We are delighted that the EUIPO found in our favour and that we can now say that we have rid Europe of the McDonald’s self-styled monopoly of the term Mc.”
A McDonald’s spokesperson said the company considers its ‘Mc’ products to be “among its most valuable assets” due to customer recognition.
“This decision does not impact McDonald’s ability to use its Mc-prefixed trademarks or other trademarks throughout Europe and the world, and McDonald’s will continue to enforce its rights,” the spokesperson said.
The EUIPO ruled in January that McDonald’s had not proven genuine use of its Bic Mac trademark as a burger or as a restaurant. They cancelled the use of this trademark in Europe.
This decision was appealed by McDonald’s in March.
Supermac’s had originally taken the case against McDonald’s after it was blocked from registering its name as a trademark in European countries outside of Ireland due to an objection by McDonald’s.
“This latest decision by the EUIPO shows that just because McDonald’s has deep pockets and we are relatively small , it doesn’t mean we weren’t going to fight our corner,” McDonagh said.
We had enough of this trademark bullying and thankfully a mechanism existed whereby McDonald’s will now have to cancel trademarks that they were warehousing as ammunition in a future trade war.
The businessman added that this judgment was a “vindication of small businesses everywhere”.
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McLovin’ it
Supermacs is superclass over Mc Donalds food any day.
@Elizabeth Hourihane: A burger from supermac’s with fries from McDonald’s and a beer of your choice works well.
@Elizabeth Hourihane: absolutely
To be fair to McDonald’s, they’ve upped their game in recently. Some of the special burgers aren’t bad at all. Supermacs is just McDonalds for culchies. And before anyone goes off on a huff , I’m a culchie.
@John Quill: nothin culchie about it, supermacs uses better quality ingredients and is better food. There’s a certain subjectivity to taste but the only things Mcdonalds arewell ahead of everyone on are marketing and market presence
@*The* Brendan Gordon: it’s the kinda place you see fellas falling out of after winning a county final match slobbering into a snatch box with half a carton on milk down their front .
@John Quill: snatch box!!!
@John Quill: McDonalds is just Supermacs for Jackeens
@John Quill: that curry sauce after a few pints.
Fair play, supermacs food is much nicer than the shite mcd’s sells
@Karl Charlie: it’s all shite, let’s be honest. We just prefer our own shite over the Americans.
@Karl Charlie: agree with you totally, in some cases there’s a bit of a wait…but it’s worth it.
@Karl Charlie: really? Supermacs food is pretty dodgy.
@Karl Charlie: Relatively speaking.
@Karl Charlie: yes it’s a better class of shite in supermacs. But it’s still shite.
@Karl Charlie: I agree! And that’s coming from a ‘Yank’ too! The burgers at Supermacs actually taste like real meat.
@Sean Leonard: With McDonalds new system there’s a wait too. Used to be be able to go in with a euro, ask for a hamburger and they’d turn around, pick one up and hand it to you. Now you have to get a receipt with a number and wait for them to make it for you.
Yet another fine example of an EU office defending the rights of small (by international standards) Irish businesses against the might of Global Players.
Hopefully, a majority of our friends across the water realise the incredible benefits of EU membership for a country’s overall mental wellbeing, population and economy, before it’s too late!
@Rory J Leonard: the same eu who want to push through a deal to buy South American beef at the expense of our farmers so the French and Germans can sell cars there?
@Hardly Normal: Well, given that most of the expenses of our beef farmers are paid by the EU through subsidies, I’m not sure what the problem is.
@George Salter: No, they are your expenses, not the Farmers’. Those subsidies keep the cost down for the consumer.
@Hardly Normal: When I last checked farming was small percentage of Irish export. Beef production is 1% of that. Ireland is not a farming country anymore! It’s worth to catch up with reality from time to time.
the only thing in supermacs I like is the chips. .The chicken is tasteless &all the burgers are covered in thousand island dressing
Mc Donald’s Food is far superior to Supermacs any day.
@Jesse James: Macdonalds is superior to dog food, that’s about it
@Jesse James: MC Donald’s cardboard food
@munsterman: ah here dont be insulting dog food now thats not nice
@Jesse James: you clearly dont like food mate. McDs is horse manure.
Mcdonagh, the clown killer.
I remember when Supermacs opened in Kilkenny and they started selling ” Doner kebabs” . It was actually a chopped up burger put in pita bread with some sauce and lettuce. Mighty though after a few scoops !
Food they serve is top quality. Higher standard that it’s corporate rivals. Different class! Proud to be Irish
@JeremiahMcDonagh: U Pat’s brother or something?
Coming home from The cinema Sunday night popped into McDonald’s, daughter ordered some sort of double cheese burger, I got veggie wrap and fries for take away as store was closing in 30 minutes. When she bit into her burger she noticed that there was no beef patty at all just a salad sandwich! Fries were limp and crap and I was on the jacks at 2:30am after wrap!
@Michael: I asked for a Seedless bun as I’m allergic to sesame seeds. They gave me a pancake box with a burger and salad and sauces all separate and a knife and fork. No bun to be seen!
I sense a journal poll could be coming, judging by the comments.
Which do you prefer, mcdonalds or supermacs?
In Galway we call it Scuttermacs !) The Irish Mexican food!
@Cayde: that’s great. Up Michael D. Sophisticated Galway….
I thought I read that judgement a few months ago,
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: From the article: The EUIPO ruled in January that McDonald’s had not proven genuine use of its Bic Mac trademark as a burger or as a restaurant. They cancelled the use of this trademark in Europe.
This decision was appealed by McDonald’s in March.
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: you did in march but McDonald appealed it
Just because they call their burgers sandwiches does the Journal have to?
@Squiddley Diddley: Sangwidges actually.
I love Supermac than McDonald’s are horrible chip thin
@Brian Flavin: Thanks Yoda
@Mick O’Shea: you silly Yoda that Star Wars LoL
Good senior hurling by McDonagh
Had Supermacs once, it was alright but I prefer McDonalds.
Went recently to an InAndOut in states – and thats how a burger chain should be done- Supermacs and McD have a lot to do to come close to making a good burger.
Well done Pat McDonnagh.
Supermac’s may have won this ruling, but they’ve lost me as a customer. Their latest delivery menu in Dublin has gone to the dogs completely, along with the prices.
I just don’t get the fascination with Supermacs, really over priced. Only thing going for them is the dressed chips. Couldn’t eat the chips without sauce, much like their burgers& chicken, they’re dry and tasteless.
Now what’s really criminal is McDonald’s getting rid of the fudge sundae!
Supermc shite wins against Mcshite…
Glad to see McDonald’s no longer using plastic straws, but more needs to be done to combat climate change.
@Noel Martin: Even though the cardboard ones can’t be recycled and the plastic ones can?
@Noel Martin: they will change back to plastic straws because it is easier to recycle than the paper straws. The sooner the better because using the paper straws with a milkshake is like drinking it through a sock.
@John Scott: They can but in the vast majority of cases they won’t. The cardboard ones are biodegradable so they’re better.
Give me a whopper any day
Boora Bog is the oney man
Delighted with this! I stopped eating in MacDonalds this year when I found out they employ companies who use prison labour in the US. They lack a moral compass and resort to exploitative business practices.
If you go to the jacks afterwards is that a McShite?
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