'McBrat' beats fast food bullies

"An intellectual property lawyer has won a David and Goliath battle against fast food giant McDonald's for the right to use the name McBrat on his rugby team's shorts.

"Malcolm McBratney, a partner in Brisbane legal firm McCullough Robertson, said McDonald's, had been using 'bully boy' tactics in seeking to prevent the Brisbane Irish team from using the name 'McBrat'.

"The ruling was mailed to Mr McBratney by the Australian Trademarks Office in Canberra, following a hearing in April this year when McDonald's objected to the Brisbane lawyer's trade mark application.

"Mr McBratney, a former player for the club, said it was not just the end of a two year legal battle which had cost him 'tens of thousands of dollars' of his time, but it also was a victory for people taking on the financial muscle of McDonald's.

"'Frankly, it's bully boy tactics,' Mr McBratney said.

"'This was was not a fair fight from them and, it just so happened, they picked the wrong guy in this case ...

"There are a lot of Scottish and Irish people out there who have better rights to the "Mc" prefix than McDonald's does.'"
The Australian