McDonald’s has registered a number of trademarks for a virtual restaurant. The fast-food company joins a long list of firms that have announced plans to cash in on Web3, including the metaverse. On February 4, the company submitted ten trademark applications to the US Patent and Trademark Office, covering both McDonald’s and McCafe.
One of its trademarks was for “virtual food and beverage products,” which included NFTs. The second one was for “operating a virtual restaurant online with home delivery.” It also trademarked entertainment services and events, such as “online actual and virtual concerts,” under the McDonald’s and McCafe brands.
According to Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer, the trademarks would protect the idea of a McDonald’s restaurant in the metaverse that serves both virtual and real-world food.
The trademarks will most likely be approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office, though the review process can take eight to nine months, according to Gerben.
Panera Bread filed for a trademark on February 3 for a “Paneraverse” that includes NFTs, virtual entertainment services, and a virtual reward programme. Nike has set up a Metaverse Studio and has trademarked ideas for virtual assets ranging from avatars to “cryptokicks,” while Gucci, Microsoft, and Crocs are also looking for people to work on their metaverse offers.
