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McDonalds are after me for telling the world their secret recipies!

What fun, just got this from some Intellectual Property Lawyers.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what to do?

No wonder I got targeted, I'm #1 in Google

Here is the page
http://stuffucanuse.com/Mac...

We act for McDonalds International Property Company, Ltd. which is the proprietor of the trade marks McDONALDS, BIG MAC, QUARTER POUNDER and FILET-O-FISH. These trade marks are registered in New Zealand for foodstuffs and/or restaurant services.

Our client is concerned that you are using its trade marks on your website http://www.stuffucanuse.com and purporting to publish on that website genuine recipes for McDonalds menu items.

McDonald;s takes extensive precautions to protect the confidentiality of its recipes and our client is concerned about this potential public disclosure.

Accordingly, our client requests your cooperation to help it determine the origin and legitimacy of the recipes posted on your site. For example, please advise us when and where you acquired the recipes displayed on your website, whether you paid any money for them and your purpose for posting them to your website.

The recipes displayed on your site are presented in a manner that suggests the recipes are authentic McDonalds recipes. If, however, the recipes are not authentic McDonalds recipes, then the presentation of the recipes on your website suggesting that they are authentic is in contravention of the Fair Trading Act 1986. Moreover, use of our clients trade marks in relation to such recipes would contravene our clients rights in its trade marks.

Accordingly, please provide the information which we have requested by 22 January 2007. If you cannot or are unwilling to supply this information, our client requires these recipes to be removed from your website forthwith.

By netchicken: posted on 22-12-2006

I remain puzzled as to why any legal person or entity in the known universe would want access to the details of any McDonalds recipe.

And Ronald McDonald is a know paedophile. Except for the one known clown who supported the most useful McDonalds initiative ever, namely McLibel.

Please delete this at will, but retain the recipes for reasons of health and safety of the species homo sapiens.

By Supersleuth: posted on 22-12-2006

There are some funny points to this letter.

1. They want ME to tell THEM how legitimate the recipies are. Wouldn't they know? By default they must be close to legiimate because of this letter.

2. How can I be accused of contravening the Fair Trading Act when I am not trading anything?

By netchicken: posted on 22-12-2006

This is BS! Arm-twisting is what they are trying to do!

I never knew that was on SUCU but now that I read the whole damn thing, you never make any claims to its legitemacy. (dont know if you added these later on or something! ) You simply state that it is what a friend sent you and you are not disclosing any of Mc Donald's corporate secrets or something. If it is a secret ask them to send you a confirmation from Mc Donalds USA. They are afraid that people will read this and think that you are trying do carry out some defamation campaign or trying to sell their secrets online!

If they want to know how you got it then I think you could just say that a friend sent it to you or something. If they want to know who that friend is, ask them to get a court order asking you to disclose that, as it is private. If they ask you to take it down, tell them to go to hell ! :sh

I'll speak to a couple of people who are doing IPR and let you know more.

By IAF: posted on 22-12-2006

Tell the to get stuffed if they do not like it ring a TV station that might shut them up

The Duke

:sh

By The Duke: posted on 24-12-2006

My reply

Dear Sir

Thankyou for your enjoyable letter about the "McDonald’s secret recipes". Unfortunatly I will have to decline your request to have it removed for a number of reasons.

Please allow me to address your points below.

... Quote:

Accordingly, our client requests your cooperation to help it determine the origin and legitimacy of the recipes posted on your site. For example, please advise us when and where you acquired the recipes displayed on your website, whether you paid any money for them and your purpose for posting them to your website.

I got them in an email many years ago ,origin unknown, price nothing. Thats all.

... Quote:

The recipes displayed on your site are presented in a manner that suggests the recipes are authentic McDonalds recipes. If, however, the recipes are not authentic McDonalds recipes, then the presentation of the recipes on your website suggesting that they are authentic is in contravention of the Fair Trading Act 1986. Moreover, use of our clients trade marks in relation to such recipes would contravene our clients rights in its trade marks.

You're kidding right? We are talking about the people who supposedly created the recipies. If they don't know if they are legitimate then how can anyone else? Unless you tell me they ARE legitimate, and you have evidence to support your claim, then they are not the property of McDonalds.

Upon reading the recipies you would quickly find that they use domestic ingredients such as HEINZ Genuine Dills and HEINZ sweet relish. These are substitutes for the actual products used. Therefore the recipies are not the original, nor break any copywrite.

How can I break the fair trading act when I am not conducting in any transactions. (you need a better legal stick than this).

This page is important to my site, as it brings in many visitors (certianly many more now because of your letter). I am very reluctant to remove it, and cannot see a reason to do so. I have emphasised on the page that they are "supposedly" original recipies. Also the information is so widly disseminated across the internet to be considered public property. I am not the only person publishing them.

Thanks for your letter I have to say it provided hours of fun with people on the internet.

Sincerely Yours

By netchicken: posted on 11-1-2007

This looks like the original book

http://www.epicconstruction...

By netchicken: posted on 11-1-2007

Ronald, son of Donald's lawyer said:
If, however, the recipes are not authentic McDonalds recipes, then the presentation of the recipes on your website suggesting that they are authentic is in contravention of the Fair Trading Act 1986.

Classic...as if the presentation of those big hearty & healthy burgers bursting with color and nutrition on their advertisements, have anything to with authenticity.

By bigSISta: posted on 11-1-2007

LOL good answer back netchicken,
Personally I would rather by a hamburger with the lot from a fish and chip shop.
I don’t know if it’s any better for you but it’s a heck of a lot tastier.

By Shan: posted on 11-1-2007

Update:

Nuttin ....

Funs over, there was no reply to my letter.

OK who's next?

By netchicken: posted on 12-2-2007