Brand preservation: The case of McDonald's and BIG MAC
McDonald's challenge before the EUIPO
Pursuant a procedure before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), McDonald’s almost lost its trademark BIG MAC on the basis that it was not used Indeed, according to the EUIPO, the prooves of use filed by McDonald’s weren’t adequate to demonstrate the use of the trademark.
McDonald's appeal
During the Appeal procedure, McDonald’s filed new prooves of use and the cancellation of the BIG MAC trademark (for sandwiches notably) has been revoked (EUIPO Case R 543/2019-4).
The importance of proof of use for your brands
With regards to this procedure against BIG MAC, we remind you that it is essential to keep prooves of use of your trademark(s). Said prooves have to establish the place, the date, the intensity and the nature of the use.
Types of proof of use
They can be adverts, catalogues, press articles … and must associate the trademark(s) with the goods/services for which the trademark(s) has/have been registered.