Metaverse is quite a trendy topic these days especially after Facebook announced its plans to develop this new virtual world as fast as possible.
Probably you will ask what Metaverse is after all. According to Wikipedia – A metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection. In futurism and science fiction, it is often described as a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual and augmented reality headsets.
In light of that, more and more companies start to consider options for the protection of their intellectual property assets in the future Metaverse. Recently this blog has posted an article about Nike’s trademark applications for virtual clothes and sneakers.
Now another global player McDonald’s has filed 10 US and 3 EU trademarks for McDonald’s brand and McCafe for the following classes of goods and services:
- 9 – Virtual food and beverage products. Downloadable multimedia files containing artwork, text, audio and video files and non-fungible tokens.
- 35 – Online retail services featuring virtual goods.
- 41 – Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line actual and virtual concerts and other virtual events.
- 43 – Operating a virtual restaurant featuring actual and virtual goods, operating a virtual restaurant online featuring home delivery.
The main purpose of such applications is to secure trademark rights for virtual goods or services that will be offered for sale to users’ avatars through blockchain technology.
This could sound silly now but the expectations are that in the future many people will want to possess such items for their virtual avatars because in that way they can persuade a social status or differentiation. At some point, this can be an advantage if Metaverse becomes a place both for business and entertainment.
Source: Mason Hayes & Curran LLP – John Milligan and Gerard Kelly
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PLANET 