In a statement issued yesterday, McDonald’s Europe explained why it had lodged its objection against the Supermac’s application to register its trade-mark to sell fast food outside Ireland in Europe.

“The McDonald’s brand is a vitally important asset for our business and sometimes we have to take carefully considered and appropriate steps to make sure that it is protected. We are confident that our position will be upheld in this instance.”

Already, McDonald’s has frustrated Supermac’s expansion plans into Europe when earlier this year, the European Commission’s Office of Harmonisation for the Internal Market (OHIM) upheld the McDonald’s objection.

In a 24-page ruling, the OHIM agreed with McDonald’s that Supermac’s application for a trade-mark was likely to cause confusion amongst the public over the two different fast food brands and their products.

Supermac’s subsequently appealed the refusal but then withdrew the appeal and instead lodged a fresh application in May of this year with the OIHM.

The Galway firm lodged the revised application after boss, Pat McDonagh stated that the company learned a lot from the European decision and had adjusted its application accordingly.