McDonald’s has a total of 79 patents globally, out of which 47 have been granted. Of these 79 patents, more than 15% patents are active. Australia is where McDonald’s has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by Europe (EPO) and New Zealand. Parallelly, United States of America seems to be the main focused R&D centre and also is the origin country of McDonald’s.
McDonald’s was founded in 1955. McDonald’s franchises and operates fast-food restaurants in the global restaurant industry. The Company’s restaurants serve a variety of value-priced menu products in countries around the world.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of McDonald’s which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find McDonald’s patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over McDonald’s patent portfolio.
How many patents does McDonald’s have?
McDonald’s has a total of 79 patents globally. These patents belong to 45 unique patent families. Out of 79 patents, 12 patents are active.
How Many Patents did McDonald’s File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | McDonald’s Applications Filed | McDonald’s Patents Granted |
| 2023 | 3 | 3 |
| 2020 | – | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 |
| 2016 | – | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 | 3 |
| 2014 | 2 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 | 5 |
| 2012 | – | 6 |
How many McDonald’s patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did McDonald’s File in Different Countries?
Countries in which McDonald’s Filed Patents
| Country | Patent |
| Australia | 23 |
| Europe (EPO) | 12 |
| New Zealand | 9 |
| United States of America | 8 |
| Canada | 5 |
| United Kingdom | 3 |
| Japan | 3 |
| Spain | 2 |
| Korea (South) | 2 |
| Brazil | 2 |
| France | 1 |
Where are Research Centers of McDonald’s Patents Located?
10 Best McDonald’s Patents
US7384003B1 is the most popular patent in the McDonald’s portfolio. It has received 13 citations so far from companies like Dl’s Die Cutting, Capital One Services.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of McDonald’s:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US7384003B1 | 13 |
| US20040249698A1 | 10 |
| US20060134271A1 | 8 |
| JP2009509714A | 7 |
| US20060134273A1 | 4 |
| US20040131741A1 | 4 |
| KR1020040007375A | 4 |
| WO2006068864A2 | 3 |
| US9227775B2 | 2 |
| US20060134272A1 | 1 |
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS COMING SOON!
What are McDonald’s key innovation segments?
What Technologies are Covered by McDonald’s?
The chart below distributes patents filed by McDonald’s in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where McDonald’s thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
R&D Focus: How McDonald’s search focus changed over the years?
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS COMING SOON!
Interested in knowing about the areas of innovation that are being protected by McDonald’s?