SALT LAKE CITY — McDonald’s has lost a trademark lawsuit that will result in the company losing exclusive rights to using the “Mc” trademark on food products sold within the European Union, BBC News reports.
McDonald’s and Supermac’s, a fast food restaurant chain in Ireland, were recently in a court battle after the Irish restaurant complained to the European Union Intellectual Property Office about the use of “Mc” to describe its meals.
The EUIPO ruled that McDonald’s did not prove that it had a genuine use for the “Mc” prefix on burgers or its restaurant name. However, the EUIPO said the “Mc” trademark can apply to chicken nuggets and sandwich products.
McDonald’s can still appeal the decision, according to CNBC. The company said it intends to do so.
“We are disappointed in the EUIPO’s decision and believe this decision did not take into account the substantial evidence submitted by McDonald’s proving use of our BIG MAC mark throughout Europe,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement.
This is the second victory for Supermac’s in a branding dispute. Back in January, the EUIPO ruled that McDonald’s didn’t hold a trademark for the Big Mac across Europe, according to Slate.
Supermac’s founder Pat McDonagh called McDonald’s “McBully” in the wake of the decision.
“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 Mc,” he said.