For Trade Marks, see LAWSA (Vol 29)
For the Law of Evidence Amendment Act 45 of 1988, see Butterworths Statutes of South Africa 1996 (Vol 4)
For the Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993, see Butterworths Statutes of South Africa 1996 (Vol 1)
Page 6 of [1996] 4 All SA 1 (A)
Cases referred to in judgment
Die Bergkelder v Delheim Wines (Pty) Ltd 1980 (3) SA 1171 (C)
Distillers Corporation (SA) Ltd v SA Breweries Ltd and Another; Oude Meester Groep Bpk and Another v SA Breweries Ltd
1976 (3) SA 514 (A)
Gulf Oil Corporation v Rembrandt Fabrikante en Handelaars (Edms) Bpk 1963 (2) SA 10 (T)
Hoechst Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd v The Beauty Box (Pty) Ltd (In Liquidation) and Another 1987 (2) SA 600 (A)
Hollywood Curl (Pty) Ltd and Another v Twins Products (Pty) Ltd (1) 1989 (1) SA 236 (A)
John Craigh (Pty) Ltd v Dupa Clothing Industries (Pty) Ltd 1977 (3) SA 144 (T)
Lorimar Productions Inc and Others v Sterling Clothing Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd 1981 (3) SA 1129 (T)
Oude Meester Groep Bpk and Another v SA Breweries Ltd; SA Breweries Ltd and Another v Distillers Corporation (SA) Ltd
and Another 1973 (4) SA 145 (W)
R v De Villiers 1944 AD 493
Rembrandt Fabrikante en Handelaars (Edms) Bpk v Gulf Oil Corporation 1963 (3) SA 341 (A)
Slenderella Systems Inc of America v Hawkins and Another 1959 (1) SA 519 (W)
Tie Rack plc v Tie Rack Stores (Pty) Ltd and Another 1989 (4) SA 427 (T)
WeberStephen Products Co v Alrite Engineering (Pty) Ltd and Others 1992 (2) SA 489 (A)
Australia
Conagra Inc v McCain Foods (Aust) (Pty) Ltd 23 IPR 193
Canada
Robert C Wian Enterprises, Inc v Mady (1065) 49 DLR (2d) 65
Valle's Steak House v Tessier et al. (1974) 49 CPR (2d) 218
United Kingdom
Alain Bernardin et Compagnie v Pavilion Properties Ltd [1967] RPC 581
AnheuserBusch Inc v Budejovicky Budvar NP (trading as Budweiser Budvar Brewery) and Others [1984] FSR 413 (CA)
Commissioners of Inland Revenue v Muller & Co's Margarine Ltd [1901] AC 217 (HL)
The Athletes Foot Marketing Associates Inc v Cobra Sports Ltd and Another [1980] RPC 343 (Ch)
View Parallel Citation
Judgment
EM GROSSKOPF JA
This is a dispute about the use and continued registration of the appellant's trade marks. The appellant, to which I
shall refer as McDonald's, is a corporation incorporated in the state of Delaware in the United States of America. It is
one of the largest franchisers of fast food restaurants in the world, if not the largest. It first
View Parallel Citation
commenced business in the United States of America in 1955 and has carried on business internationally since
1971. It operates its own restaurants and also franchises others to do so. It sells hamburgers and other fast foods.
The McDonald's trade mark is widely used in relation to restaurants owned by McDonald's as well as those that are
franchised.
McDonald's obtained registration of its trade marks in South Africa in 1968, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1984 and 1985. It
is now the registered proprietor of fiftytwo marks. Of these, twentyseven consist of or incorporate the word
McDonald or
Page 7 of [1996] 4 All SA 1 (A)