McDonald’s Takes Legal Aim at ‘MAC’ and ‘MC’ Trademarks Amid Financial Pressures
Feb/11/2025
On February 7, McDonald’s filed a series of trademark oppositions targeting applications containing the prefixes 'MAC' or 'MC', asserting its brand dominance beyond burgers and fries. The oppositions include 'MACMOON' for kitchen tools like bread knives and fish slicers, 'M MCILPOOG' for coffee products, 'MCHOSE' for electronic accessories like headsets and keyboards, and 'MCWTH' for backpacks. This maneuver coincides with McDonald’s reporting a 1% dip in fourth-quarter net income to $2 billion, with earnings per share falling slightly below analyst expectations at $2.83. While U.S. sales faltered, dragging revenues to $6.4 billion—just shy of projections—the company’s international markets showed signs of recovery. Investors responded optimistically, pushing shares up 4.8% to $308.42, the Dow’s top performer on Monday. The trademark push underscores McDonald’s efforts to safeguard its brand even as it navigates fluctuating consumer spending, industry headwinds, and the aftermath of a health crisis linked to an E. coli outbreak from contaminated onions.
