McDONALD'S LOSES NAME IN SOUTH AFRICA
By Adnews Staff
U.S.-based McDonald's Corporation was dealt a blow last week after a court in South Africa said that the burger giant may not put its name on its restaurants in that country. The court ruled that the company had abandoned its trademark by failing to use "McDonald's" since it first registered the name in South Africa in 1968. The court dismissed McDonald's argument that it did not open a restuarant there because of apartheid sanctions and said that it made no difference that McDonald's is a household name in America because it is unknown in South Africa. McDonald's is planning to appeal the decision. The winner in the court fight for the McDonald's trademark was a South African man who has had the McDonald's name on a hamburger stand since 1978.