McDonald’s Applies for Metaverse Trademarks

At the start of the month, McDonald’s got a taste of the Metaverse. In celebration of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger, McDonald’s partnered with Humberto Leon to roll out a Zodiac collection in the Metaverse.

McDonald’s First Metaverse Success

From 1^st February to 15^th February, fans can enter AltspaceVR and Spatial, virtual reality platforms, to view the Zodiac collection. Horoscope readings are also on offer for fans who explore the collection. Those entering the space can also relax in the McDonald’s lounge that features a lantern display. Entrants can light their own lanterns to release them into the sky. And, in the tradition of giving hongbao, symbolizing luck for the near year, fans can even share a red envelopes with other fans.

McDonald’s Takes a More Permanent Step into the Metaverse

Following the partnership with Humberto Leon, trademark attorney Josh Gerben announced on Twitter that McDonald’s had submitted 10 trademark applications. In Wednesday’s tweet, Gerben added that the applications indicated plans to offer a virtual restaurant featuring actual and virtual goods and operating a virtual restaurant featuring home delivery.

McDonald's is headed to the metaverse.

The company has filed 10 (TEN!) trademark applications indicating it plans to offer "a virtual restaurant featuring actual and virtual goods" and "operating a virtual restaurant featuring home delivery."#Mcdonalds #Metaverse pic.twitter.com/J9pK7EK9nl

— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) February 9, 2022

Looking at the individual trademark applications shared by Gerben, McDonald’s plans to offer:

• Downloadable multimedia files containing artwork, text, audio, and video files, and NFTs.
• Entertainment services including providing online actual and virtual concerts and other virtual events.
• Operating a virtual restaurant featuring actual and virtual goods and a virtual restaurant online, featuring home delivery.

The applications were not just for McDonald’s but also McCafe. Trademark attorney Gerben had been in the news just last month, tweeting news of Blockbuster filing a trademark application in a bid to offer a Blockbuster-branded:

• Cryptocurrency.
• Marketplace for buying and selling NFTs.
• Metaverse environment.

Metaverse Linked Price Predictions for 2022

According to a report published late last year, SAND and MANA are two leading projects in the Metaverse space. Both tokens were amongst the best performers last year. The markets are expecting more of the same as interest in the Metaverse grows. Morgan Stanley analysts reportedly see the Metaverse potentially growing to an $8tn market.