Wednesday, September 16, 2009

This is McWar

What does a burger…a chicken…and a smelly spice…have in common? A burger-curry chicken war, of course.

Have you heard about the spicy lawsuit - McDonalds vs McCurry? It seems the owner of a small curry restaurant in Malaysia operating under the name “McCurry” (serving Malaysian Chicken Curry) got McDonalds…McMad…over its use of “Mc.” So McDonalds Mcsued McCurry.

McDonalds wanted sole rights of the prefix “Mc” to protect its brand image, but the Federal Court ruled they didn’t have exclusive rights. The two Mcs have been battling each other in court for 8 years and McCurry won. The final stinger for McDonalds was they had to pay McCurry’s legal costs for the 8 year suit. That definitely had to sting. Nothing like the courts adding curry to injury. Or curry to the special sauce.

I’m sure there are a lot of people who like hearing about the “little man” Mcsticking it to the “big man.” I would agree that it does seem a little presumptuous for McDonalds to think it should be the owner of a prefix. What if your name is McMann? They would have rights to part of your name?

Think about the Apple people. iThis and iThat is everywhere…and not just for iPods and iPhones. It’s seen in a lot of advertising and products not related to Apple. You don’t see the Apple people getting iPissed-off over the use of “i.” iThink not.

I do agree, however, if you did a word association with people…most would think “i” was Apple…and “Mc” is McDonalds.

I don’t, however, think McDonalds should get McWorked up over everything. No one is gonna mistake a curry chicken for a happy meal…………

iMcKat…signing off

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