# Is naming your company "Mc\[Something\]" a thing now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2021, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570 "2021-03-24T10:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/21 "2021-03-24T19:03:07Z")
Historically, as several of the above links and examples demonstrate, McDonald’s has been particularly vigilant and vigorous in defending their trademarks and IP (which, honestly, you have to be, if you want to keep it), and they seem to have an entire legal team dedicated to finding instances which could be violations. When I was in either high school or college (so, this was at least 30 years ago), there was a local, mom-and-pop restaurant in my home town of Green Bay, which had a sign in front of their restaurant that featured an arched arrow. It was just a single arch (with an arrow head on one end), it wasn’t yellow, and their restaurant name wasn’t anything even close to McDonald’s. Even so, they got a letter from the lawyers, insisting that the sign was a violation of McDonald’s logo, and that they remove it. As it turned out, the sign predated McDonald’s use of the “golden arches” by years, and it was a pretty thin case anyway; once the local restaurant got the local TV stations involved in the case, and started generating bad press for McDonald’s, the demand was dropped. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/22 "2021-03-24T19:05:47Z")
Well, there was [Boaty McBoatface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boaty_McBoatface) a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/23 "2021-03-24T20:23:23Z")
There are a lot of silly Something McSomethingFace stories in @Tzigone’s wiki article. Far more than I’d ever heard about. It’s worth a read. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/24 "2021-03-24T20:26:45Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Almost all of the cases were against companies selling food and/or drinks, and a few more I looked at were selling other non-food products that McDonald’s also markets. I don’t believe that McDonalds has entered the hotel/motel business, even if they claimed that they planned on doing so. > **['Threats, Harassment' Alleged : McSleep Files McSuit Against McDonald's](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-11-01-fi-18111-story.html)** > > Quality Inns International Inc., which last month introduced a chain of economy hotels called McSleep Inn, has fired the first legal shot at McDonald's in a battle over the McSleep name. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/25 "2021-03-24T22:04:37Z")
There’s a clinic for plastic surgery called ‘McAesthetics’ in Cologne. I think the general idea isn’t so much the association with McDonald’s, but rather, with the famous Scottish stinginess—so naming something McSomething essentially means ‘something, but cheap’. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/26 "2021-03-24T22:08:36Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > I think the general idea isn’t so much the association with McDonald’s, but rather, with the famous Scottish stinginess—so naming something McSomething essentially means ‘something, but cheap’. I think it’s both. Just like McDonald’s has the reputation for consistency and liability, it stands for exceptionally cheap food, and the Mc prefix associated with Scotland and its alleged stinginess, which is a cliché and the source of many jokes in Germany, just reinforces this notion. In this way, “Mc” stands for cheap and basic, but reliable service. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/27 "2021-03-24T22:20:58Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > I don’t believe that McDonalds has entered the hotel/motel business, even if they claimed that they planned on doing so. Your quote cuts off my previous sentence, which makes it clear that I was looking for examples of lawsuits against home businesses, which Quality Inns definitely ain’t. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/28 "2021-03-25T03:05:09Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > > [@Uniqueorn](#): > > > > But I wonder if you can trademark parts of names. Does Apple have a trademark for “i-” or can I market a t-shirt called i-shirt? > > You certainly can trademark a shirt called iShirt, at least in the United States, because a USPTO search turns up four such trademarks. None of them are currently active, but all of them postdate Apple’s use of the i- prefix, and none of them were held by Apple itself. I have an iRobot product, for example. What does that possibly have to do with Apple? There is a link to MIT. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/29 "2021-03-25T03:14:51Z")
Perhaps the iRobot brand name is more of a reference to Isaac Asimov more than Apple? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/30 "2021-03-25T04:10:12Z")
First German example I noticed, about 2008 probably, was McClean, operator of (pay) restrooms in German train stations. A couple of years ago I was astonished to spot this, shall we say, _independent_ [McDonald’s Restaurant in Kaufman, Texas.](https://goo.gl/maps/F9qLWFGjnR2FvPE97) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/31 "2021-03-25T04:29:27Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > A couple of years ago I was astonished to spot this, shall we say, _independent_ [McDonald’s Restaurant in Kaufman, Texas.](https://goo.gl/maps/F9qLWFGjnR2FvPE97) One wonders if it predates the better-known chain. If so, they might have had a leg to stand on when Ronald’s lawyers came to call. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/32 "2021-03-25T09:01:37Z")
According to Google Maps, the street address of that place is in Terrell, not Kaufman. And it seems that it’s only the gas station, not the restaurant, that’s called McDonald’s. The photos show that the restaurant is called Three 65 Tacos & BBQ. So I think the words in the sign need to be interpreted separately, as “McDonald’s” (the name of the gas station) plus “Restaurant”, meaning “there is also a restaurant here”. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/33 "2021-03-25T09:54:33Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > It’s a reference to the movie _Coming to America_ , where John Amos’s character owns a McDonald’s knockoff restaurant in Queens, New York, called McDowell’s. Life imitates art. In the Ukraine, there’s a knockoff of McDonald’s called McFoxy - and it’s located right next door to an actual McDonald’s. > **[Ukraine Is in Crisis, but You Can Still Get Knockoff McDonald's at Kiev's...](https://www.vice.com/en/article/znw4gx/mcfoxy-is-serving-knockoff-mcdonalds-in-the-midst-of-the-ukraine-uprising)** > > McFoxy is Ukraine's sad attempt to rival McDonald's—the chicken is spongy, the burgers are oddly sweet, and the best part of the meal is the one-dollar beer. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/34 "2021-03-25T11:08:10Z")
It’s not Mcdonald’s, but there’s certainly precedent for forbidding a company from using the owner’s name. > **[Bully Hill Vineyards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_Hill_Vineyards)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}42°26′28.30″N 77°12′29.30″W / 42.4411944°N 77.2081389°W / 42.4411944; -77.2081389 > Bully Hill Vineyards is a vineyard and winery located in Hammondsport, New York, United States,... ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/35 "2021-03-25T12:21:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It’s not Mcdonald’s, but there’s certainly precedent for forbidding a company from using the owner’s name. Nissan Motors (the car company) fought a long and bitter legal battle against Uzi Nissan, founder of Nissan Computer Corporation. Uzi Nissan had registered [www.nissan.com](http://www.nissan.com) and was using it for legit business purposes for several years before the car company even thought of making a website. In the end, Uzi Nissan was allowed to keep the website, provided he didn’t badmouth Nissan Motors. As it turns out, Mr. Nissan died last summer from COVID, so unless he’s heavily prepaid his domain hosting fees, we’ll probably see [www.nissan.com](http://www.nissan.com) roll over to the car company before long. > **[Why Nissan.com Isn’t a Car Website – by “Daniel A”](https://yalelawtech.org/2011/04/09/why-nissan-com-isnt-a-car-website/)** > > source: If you visit Nissan.com you’ll wonder why you aren’t able to see, learn about, and purchase the newest models of Nissan automobiles. That’s because the website actually belongs to a small N… ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/36 "2021-03-26T03:57:17Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > I think the words in the sign need to be interpreted separately, as “McDonald’s” (the name of the gas station) plus “Restaurant”, meaning “there is also a restaurant here”. That might well be the case these days, but it first got my attention about five years ago on a billboard visible driving on I-20 that said “McDonald’s Family Restaurant.” ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570/37 "2021-03-26T05:14:51Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > None that I can find in the UK There’s McTucky’s in Manchester. Serves late night drunk food, fried chicken, chips, kebabs. But, it’s not a chain or anything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570.md?page=1)