McCurry Making New Plans After Landmark Court Win
WHO would imagine that a little Indian curry house in dusty, bustling Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, would rattle the gleaming arches that dominate the frenetic and greasy world of fast food?
On Sept 9, when news broke that McCurry Restaurant (KL) Sdn Bhd had won a landmark case against McDonald’s Corp in the battle for exclusivity to use the “Mc” prefix, McCurry’s website crashed as people worldwide jammed up the server offering support and looking for details.
I’m lovin’ it! That perhaps sums up the feeling most have for McCurry’s triumph over McDonald’s.
While the issue may appear trivial – after all, it is about two letters of the alphabet – it has seen the world’s largest chain of fast food outlets take the little restaurant to court.
McDonald’s may serve more than 58 million customers in nearly 120 countries every day, but it lost anyway.
In the eight-year legal battle, the Federal Court unanimously dismissed McDonald’s appeal against the Court of Appeal’s findings over McCurry’s usage of “Mc”, on the grounds that the questions posed by McDonald’s in the application were not properly framed. McDonald’s was also ordered to pay RM10,000 in costs to McCurry.
The two questions framed by McDonald’s were that once the prefix “Mc” was used by McCurry, the public in their mind, would associate McCurry with McDonald’s; and the usage of “Mc” would reduce the importance of “Mc” to McDonald’s.
Obviously, it hasn’t been easy battling a global business. Apart from hefty legal fees, the husband and wife team of A.M.S.P. Suppiah and Kanageswary had to put on hold their plans to expand the McCurry business.
But as they pick up the literal pieces and glass shards from the renovation works being carried out at their establishment in No. 86, Jalan Ipoh, it looks like they have been offered a new lease on life.
“We’re relieved its finally over. It has been a strain. Now we can focus on our plans. It has always been our intention to franchise the business,” says a glamorous-looking Kanageswary, who manages the restaurant on a daily basis.
Suppiah adds that since the victory, there have been many phone calls and queries on possible partnerships and franchising opportunities with McCurry Restaurant.
