IRISH FAST FOOD restaurant Supermac’s is stepping up its bid for international expansion with a new European trademark application.

This is being submitted to the EU’s Spain-based Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which until two months ago was known as the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market.

This move is the latest development in a long-running saga that has seen Supermac’s go head-to-head with international fast-food giant McDonald’s.

In January, a trademark claim by McDonald’s to the EUIPO was partially upheld – blocking a EU-wide trademark application by Supermac’s on a number of its items.

The authority ruled that if the Irish company was allowed to sell its products and services in Europe, there was a “likelihood of confusion” with McDonald’s products and services – with these including toys, food, drinks, coffee, ice-cream and meat.

Supermac's managing director Pat McDonagh Source: Supermac's

While the company didn’t secure rights over its individual products, it was granted trademark rights over its own brand and name in Europe as a result of the case.

What’s new?

With the new application today, Supermac’s will be applying to have the full range of its products and services covered by trademark.

This has seen the company withdraw an appeal that it made to January’s decision and re-submit a new request.

This will address issues that came up when the trademark application was made for specific products back in January – although it is understood that it does not have plans to alter its products for an international market.

As of yet it is unclear whether multinational McDonald’s will again object to the application.

Speaking about the move, managing director of Supermac’s Pat McDonagh said: “This is another progressive step forward for Supermac’s… we have made a new trademark application that we believe will have a strong chance of success across every single one of our products.”