Their support for Supermac’s justifies the Galway-based company’s nearly decade-long battle with McDonald’s.
Supermac chief executive Pat McDonagh said the decision was “a vindication of small businesses around the world standing up to powerful global entities,” according to an emailed statement.
“We’ve been saying for years that they’re using trademark bullying,” he said. “When we went into this battle, we knew it was a David versus Goliath scenario. »
The company had argued that McDonald’s should not have the exclusive right to use the phrase “Big Mac” for other menu items like chicken dishes or catering services because it had not used the brand for other products for at least five years.
The Irish chain took its “Big Mac” beef to the European court last year to overturn a 2022 ruling by the European intellectual property office that only partially overturned McDonald’s rights to the expression, but still kept it for services and other potential menu items.
The General Court’s judgments can be appealed to the EU’s highest court, the Court of Justice.
The case is T 58/23 Supermac’s v EUIPO – McDonald’s International Property (BIG MAC).
This article has been updated with comment from Supermac.
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