Someone in the separatist-controlled Ukrainian city of Luhansk is operating an off-brand McDonald's, and the Golden Arches isn't happy about it, Reuters reports. "Our lawyers are working on this issue," a McDonald's spokesperson says. McDonald's closed its restaurant in Luhansk in 2014 after the city was taken by pro-Russian fighters and declared independent of the Ukraine. Now, the restaurant is up and running again, churning out hamburgers and fries that are suspiciously similar to those offered by McDonald's.
The exterior of the building has undergone a bit of rebranding, with only the "Mc" of "McDonald's" remaining and the flag of the so-called Luhansk People's Republic replacing the familiar arches. It's been reported—though not confirmed—that the restaurant is still using McDonald's wrappers and other packaging materials. "The illegal use of trademarks, names, and images of products that belong to McDonald's is an example of the violation of the company's intellectual property rights," the McDonald's spokesperson tells Reuters. It remains unclear who is behind the rogue restaurant or what McDonald's can even do about it. (More McDonald's stories.)
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