Tech

McDonald’s wants to open virtual restaurants in the metaverse

McDonald’s wants to be able to open virtual restaurants in the metaverse. Mirroring many brands, the fast food giant has filed a dozen patents to prepare for the emergence of digital worlds.

mcdonalds metaverse

Since Facebook has renamed itself Meta in reference to the future metaverse, many global companies are taking a close interest in the issue. Recently, Samsung also lifted the veil on its new Galaxy S22 during an online conference in the metaverse. The South Korean brand turned to the virtual universe developed by Decentraland, where it had opened a store a little earlier.

While some firms already have a foothold in these digital universes, others are planning their future virtual spaces in the shadows. As Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer, reports, McDonald’s, the famous American fast food chain, has already filed about ten patents concerning the metaverse. The expert says that “McDonald’s is heading to the metaverse”.

Read also: Carrefour buys a plot in the Metaverse, soon the races in VR?

Ordering burgers in the McDonald’s metaverse, soon possible?

In these patents filed with organizations such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office, McDonald’s describes “the operation of a virtual restaurant offering real and virtual products, and the operation of a virtual restaurant offering home delivery in the physical world”.

Concretely, it would be possible both to buy digital objects, such as non-fungible tokens (NFT) for example, and meals. Through the metaverse, you can have burgers and fries delivered and others at your home.

Questioned by the media The Block, Josh Gerben specifies that these massive deposits do not mean that the entropies have already the intention to embark on a digital universe. “As new technology emerges, it is common for businesses to file new trademarks to ensure they are protected with respect to new products and/or services they plan to offer”explains Josh Gerben.

Clearly, these patents are primarily aimed at prevent someone from opening a McDonald’s restaurant in the metaverse. “The new filings they are making are just a precaution to make sure they have all the tools they need to enforce their brands if it becomes necessary”, underlines the lawyer. Asked by Forbes, the expert believes, however, that “every brand you can think of” will make similar filings over the next 12 months.

Source: The Block, Forbes

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