At this very moment, residents of London are reading the latest on a trial that soon will set an English record for longevity. But it's not about a bloody murder or messy royal divorce.
It's called the " McLibel" trial, a legal saga that began June 28, 1994, when two unemployed environmentalists were dragged into court for claiming McDonald's Corp. is an exploiting menace to society.
McDonald's is fighting for its reputation. But it takes a beating in the tabloids every time another employee admits to using coffee grinds twice or diluting the milkshake mix.
"We feel we've already won, in that we haven't been silenced, and we've put the McDonald's Corporation and their business practices on trial," said Dave Morris, one of the environmentalists.
"They're trying to silence their critics, and we're defending the public's freedom of speech to challenge the glossy image they've built up."