BUN FIGHT
McDonald’s is BANNED from owning ‘Big Mac’ name for burgers in EU – but strict rule won’t apply in UK thanks to Brexit
Other restaurants can now use one word when selling burgers
MCDONALD’S has been stripped of its exclusive “Big Mac” trademark for chicken burgers sold in Europe following a legal battle with an Irish rival.
The European Court of Justice found the American fast food chain had not used the iconic term for poultry products over a continuous five-year period.
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Judges ruled yesterday: "McDonald's loses the EU trade mark Big Mac in respect of poultry products.
"McDonald's has not proved genuine use within a continuous period of five years in the European Union in connection with certain goods and services."
It means other restaurants can now use “Mac” in their names or to sell chicken on the continent, despite Maccies trademarking it in 1996.
The seven-year legal challenge was brought by , founded in 1978 and now selling burgers and nuggets from 120 restaurants across Ireland.
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Pat McDonagh, founder and managing director, said: “It does mean we can expand elsewhere with Supermac’s across the EU, so that is a big win for us.”
But the battle to branch out further in the UK will drag on as EU trademark law no longer applies after Brexit.
McDonald’s confirmed it continues to hold the exclusive trademark for beef burgers but would not say whether it will appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
A spokesman said: “Our iconic Big Mac is loved by customers all across Europe, and we’re excited to continue to proudly serve local communities, as we have done for decades."
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Reflecting on the long-running tussle, McDonagh said: “We knew when we took on this battle that it was a David versus Goliath scenario.
"The original objective of our application to cancel was to shine a light on the use of trademark bullying by this multinational to stifle competition.
“We have been saying for years that they have been using trademark bullying. They trademarked the SnackBox, which is one of Supermac’s most popular products, even though the product is not actually offered by them.
“We can be proud to be part of a Europe in which all are equal. Small is no longer a disadvantage.
“We wholeheartedly welcome this judgement as a vindication of small businesses everywhere that stand up to powerful global entities.”
Brexit was a vote of confidence by the British people in our country
By Kemi Badenoch
DID you know that we recently overtook France to become the eighth-largest manufacturing nation in the world?
Or that our economy has recovered more strongly from Covid than Germany or France?
And that “greenfield” direct foreign investment into the UK right now is greater than into those two countries combined?
Or that the Prime Minister and I just secured £30billion of foreign investment into the UK?
You’d be forgiven if you hadn’t heard these facts.
It seems few people, and certainly not many in the media outside of The Sun, have wanted to speak about the strengths of the UK economy.
This is partly understandable.
Between the pandemic and the spike in energy prices caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, times have been tough recently.
But there is another, more interesting reason.
Many of the people and institutions with the loudest voices in our public debate noisily prophesied that Brexit would be an economic disaster.
So perhaps it is only natural that they have not been keen to highlight the awkward news that it has been anything but.
A few years ago, former Labour Party spin doctor Alastair Campbell confidently declared: “If we leave, Nissan leaves.”
Two weeks ago, the very same Nissan doubled down on their UK operation, with a £2billion investment to mass-produce two new electric car models in Sunderland.
Tens of thousands of great jobs secured for many years to come — and, alas, a rare piece of news Alastair has yet to pass comment on.
And it’s not just Nissan.
Earlier this year, Tata — the owner of Jaguar Land Rover – announced one of the largest-ever investments in the UK car industry with its plans to build a new gigafactory in Somerset.
BMW likewise recently committed £600million to a complete modernisation of its Mini factory in Oxfordshire.
The anti-Brexit economic predictions simply haven’t come to pass.
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