The American fast-food chain McDonald's has lost the right to use the term "Big Mac" for poultry products after failing to use it for five consecutive years. This decision was made by the second-highest court in Europe. The trademark was awarded to its Irish competitor, Supermac's, following their long-standing legal dispute.

According to Reuters, the General Court in Luxembourg focused on Supermac's 2017 attempt to revoke McDonald's use of the Big Mac name, which the American company had registered in 1996 for meat and poultry products and restaurant services.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) initially rejected Supermac's request, affirming McDonald's use of the term for meat and chicken sandwiches. This led Supermac's, which opened its first restaurants in Galway in 1978 and sells beef and chicken burgers, fried chicken nuggets, and sandwiches, to appeal the decision.

The General Court dismissed McDonald's arguments, partially annulled, and modified the EUIPO's decision.

"McDonald's loses its EU trademark for Big Mac concerning poultry products," the judges ruled. "McDonald's failed to prove genuine use within a continuous period of five years in the European Union for certain products and services," they said.

McDonald's representatives did not comment on the ruling but may appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest court in Europe.