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McDonald’s Vs. McCurry’s

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For eight years, McDonald’s has been fighting a restaurant in Malaysia called — McCurry. The American fast food giant tried to copyright the “mc” prefix. But Malaysia’s Federal Court said: NOT so fast. It ruled that other restaurants could use the Mc prefix so long as they served different food than McDonald’s.

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MARCO WERMAN: Here’s another bit of copyright news from our nonexistent Copyright Desk.  It concerns McDonald’s and its competition.  Remember that Eddie Murphy movie, “Coming to America?”  It featured a knock-off McDonald’s restaurant in New York City.  The imitator was called, “McDowells.”  The owner says, “See!  They’re McDonalds, I’m McDowells.  They’ve got the Golden Arches; mine is the “Golden Arcs.  They got the Big Mac; I’ve got the Big Mick,” and so on.  Well, for eight years, McDonalds has been fighting a “real life restaurant” in Malaysia called McCurry.  The American fast-food-giant tried to copyright the “Mc” prefix, but Malaysia’s federal court said, “Not so fast!”  It ruled, today, that other restaurants could use the “Mc,” so long as they serve different food from McDonalds.  McCurry serves Indian food in downtown Kuala Lumpur.  The name is an abbreviation for Malaysian Chicken Curry.  Here’s the owner, A.M.S.P. Suppiah.

A.M.S.P. SUPPIAH: We are very relieved that this eight-year-old legal saga is over.  It’s a big pressure off our backs.  So, it’s final now that we can use our name, McCurry.

WERMAN: McCurry’s logo, by the way, couldn’t possibly be confused with McDonald’s “Golden Arches.”  It’s a “smiling chicken, giving a double thumbs-up.”  What’s a chicken so “McHappy” about?

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