Supermac's wins trademark case against McDonald's in the UK
According to reports, Irish burger chain Supermac's has won a trademark dispute against McDonald's in the UK.
What was reported
According to reports, Irish burger chain Supermac's has won a trademark case against McDonald's before a court in the UK. The case concerns McDonald's 'Big Mac' mark. The court ruled in favor of Supermac's. Further details are not known.
What you can learn from this
This case shows that even well-known marks are not protected without limits. Trademark rights are territorial: protection in one country does not automatically apply in others. Moreover, a mark may lose its distinctiveness if it is not genuinely used or if it becomes generic. For Swiss SMEs, it is important to register their marks in relevant countries and to prove use.
In case of likelihood of confusion, the similarity of signs and goods or services matters. The degree of recognition of the earlier mark also plays a role. If a sign is purely descriptive or lacks distinctiveness, it may be difficult to protect as a trademark. Companies should therefore choose distinctive marks and check conflicts with existing marks early on.
Source
This brief is based on a press report by BBC dated 10 Aug 2026. The decision was not available to us in full text; we only report what was published.
Is your brand name strong enough?
Activate free basic protection and keep an eye on your trade mark and its environment.
This brief is based on public media reporting, not on the full text of the decision. It is for information purposes and does not constitute legal advice.