|
McDonald's, the billion-dollar American fast food corporation, agreed Wednesday not to open its Kingston outlet on Molynes Road before the outcome of its disputes with alocal namesake over its right to operate under the name.
In return for the American company's undertaking, lawyers representing the local restuarant withdrew their court action for an injunction to stall the opening of the outlet which is currently under construction. Both companies will return to court on April 15 to continue their battle over the right to operate under the controversial name. The American company wants the court to bar the local company from using the McDonald's name as well as order the local company not to try to pass itself off as an affiliate. The local company wants the court to give it |
exclusive rights to operate under the name in the Corporate Area.
The issues, which are being tried in Justice Chester Orr's chambers, are not unique. The 41-year old American company is pursiung an appeal against a refusal by the South African courts to stop a local in that country from operating under that name.
In Jamaica, in the meantime, both companies continue to operate outlets at opposite sides of the island - the local company on Cargill Avenue in Kingston under the management of Victor Chang and the American company in Ironshore, Montego Bay. The American company is contending that Chang's company resurrected its restaurant after it announced plans to start operating in Jamaica last Septmebr, in a deliberate attempt to pass itself off as an affiliate.
|
See also: