The McBattle is on - Irish fast food chain Supermac's accuses McDonald's of 'trademark bullying'

IRISH fast food giant Supermac's have asked the EU regulator to cancel the use of McDonald's 'Big Mac' trademarks over what it is calling 'trademark bullying'.

The formal request, submitted last night, to the EU Intellectual Property Office is the latest move in an ongoing trademark dispute between Supermac's and international fast food outlet McDonald's.

Supermac's has asked that the cancellation of the 'Mc' related trademarks registered by McDonald's take place immediately as it claims the US company is engaged in trademark bullying.

It is 'registering brand names which are nothing to do with them, they do not use and which are simply stored away in order to pulverize some future competitor', the Irish-owned family restuarant said.

The 'Big Mac' and 'Mc' trademarks registered to McDonald's include, McCountry and the word MAC as well as McMór, McKids, McFamily, McHome, McWallet, McRecycle, McJob, McChoice, the McNet and McInternet.

Superman's have said McDonald's are tying to build a 'de-facto' monopoly of Mc-prefixes. (Picture: Laura Hutton/RollingNews.ie)

In their request to the EU, Supermac's point out that the multi-national has trademarked these words 'in an attempt to wipe out any potential competition.'

"This amounts to nothing more than trademark bullying by a large multi-national to try and create a de-facto monopoly in the Mc prefix, not only for food and restaurant services but also for the McInternet, the McCountry and even your McKids," a spokesman said.

Pat McDonagh, the founder and Managing Director of Supermac’s Ireland Ltd, said “McDonald's has literally registered the McWorld.

CEO Pat McDonagh said McDonald's have "literally trademarked McWorld." (Picture: RollingNews.ie)

"It is trying to make sure that every word in the English language belongs to them if there is prefix Mc or Mac put in front of it.

"They have trademarked words like McKids, McFamily, McCountry, McWorld, McJob and McInternet in order to, over time, squeeze out smaller family based businesses," the CEO said.

Mr McDonagh also warned that any Irish-surnamed businesses who want to use a Mc-related prefix for their business may run into difficulty.

"If any McGrath, McCarthy or McDermott with a business idea uses their name in the title of that business or product the chances are McDonald's already own the trademark and you can probably expect a knock on the door from them," Mr. McDonagh said.

A point of contention for Supermac's is McDonald's trademark of the word, 'SnackBox' - a product that McDonald's do not offer, but Supermac's do.

“McDonald’s has trademarked the SnackBox,” Mr McDonagh said “a product that is synonymous with Supermac's.

"McDonald’s do not offer this product and it doesn't contain a Mc or a MAC so why would McDonald's trademark it unless it wants to come knocking on our door again to tell us that we have to stop selling a product that we so obviously own?"

"We have had enough of this trademark bullying," Mr McDonagh said.

"Thankfully a mechanism exists whereby we can demand that McDonald’s will have to cancel trademarks that they are warehousing as ammunition in a future trade war.

"The tactic of trying to take ownership of everything that begins with Mc is corporate colonialism,” he added.