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30 Sep, 2025

McDonald's may lose trademark rights in Russia

Business NewsForeign Business

McDonald's USA may lose its rights to more than 10 trademarks in Russia in 2026-2027, TASS reports, citing data from Russia's intellectual property agency Rospatent.

Its exclusive rights to the Happy Meal, MacNuggets, Royal Cheeseburger, McNuggets, McDrive and McCountry trademarks expire in 2026. Several logo and company name applications expire in 2027, as do the McMuffin, Big Mac, Mac Fries, McChicken and McCola trademarks.

The Big Mac and Bolshoy Mac trademarks already expired in 2025 and the McCountry trademark expired back in 2024.

McDonald's announced its final withdrawal from Russia in May 2022 due to the military action in Ukraine. But the company made it a priority to preserve the jobs and salaries of its employees until a deal to sell its assets was closed. McDonald's assets were sold to Kuzbass businessman Alexander Govor, who had been building up a franchise network of McDonald's restaurants in Siberia. At the same time, the American corporation was given the right to buy the Russian business back on market conditions within 15 years. Now the former McDonald's restaurants are operating under the brand "Vkusno - i Tochka".

Last December, McDonald's applied to Rospatent for registration of the McDonald's trademark. The company explained that it had no intention of returning to Russia, but was doing so to protect its intellectual property.

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