Inc Quotes Josh Gerben Regarding the European Court Ruling on a McDonald’s Trademark

After an ongoing trademark battle, a Luxembourg court recently ruled that McDonald’s no longer has the right to exclude others from using the term “BIG MAC” in conjunction with chicken sandwiches. The ruling was made after the court determined that McDonald’s has not upheld the trademark requirement to market Big Mac chicken sandwiches within the last five years.

Inc asked Josh Gerben about this ruling and if it would have any significant impact on McDonald’s.

“The case does highlight how trademark law around the world relies on a ‘use it or lose it’ system. Even the largest companies are unable to keep trademarks registered for products they no longer offer.”

“Ultimately, I view this ruling as a very minor setback for McDonald’s and not one that is likely to result in any meaningful loss of trademark rights.”

Source: Murphy Jr, Bill. https://www.inc.com. “After 5 Years of Nothing, McDonald’s Just Got Some Bizarre News”. 6 June 2024.