McCurry Beats McDonald's In Malaysia Lawsuit

McDonald's has long been known for simply sticking a 'Mc' in front of popular food items and claiming a trademark on them.

Today, the fast food chain lost a lawsuit in Malaysia after an appeals court overruled a decision that its trademark had been infringed by a local restaurant called McCurry.

"Where the learned judge, with respect, erred is to assume that McDonald's had a monopoly in the use of the prefix 'Mc' on a signage or in the conduct of business," Judge Gopal Sri Ram said in his decision, overturning a 2006 ruling in favour of McDonald's.

The McDonald's operation in this Southeast Asian country of 27 million people is run as a franchise by prominent businessman Vincent Tan and has 185 outlets, according to the company website.

McCurry serves Indian fast food from one restaurant in Kuala Lumpur as well Malaysian dishes such as fish head curry.

The owner says the name is short for "Malaysian Chicken Curry," which is the first dish the restaurant began serving.

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