McDonald’s has a total of 82 patents globally, out of which 58 have been granted. Of these 82 patents, 16% patents are active. Australia is where McDonald’s has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by Europe (EPO) and New Zealand. Parallelly, USA seems to be the main focused R&D center and is also the origin country of McDonald’s.
McDonald’s was founded in 1955 by Maurice McDonald, Richard McDonald and Ray Kroc. McDonald’s franchises and operates fast-food restaurants in the global restaurant industry. The Company’s restaurants serves 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.
McDonald’s Innovation Prediction Roadmap: 2026-2030
The insights and projections presented in this article are based on predictive analysis, current patent analysis that have been done, and publicly available information as of 2026. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the forward-looking statements are speculative and should not be interpreted as definitive strategic actions by McDonald’s or its affiliates. This content is intended for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice.
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How many patents does McDonald’s have?
McDonald’s has a total of 82 patents globally. These patents belong to 42 unique patent families. Out of 82 patents, 13 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 | 5 | 5 |
| 2020 | – | 1 |
| 2019 | – | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | – | 2 |
| 2016 | – | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 | 3 |
| 2014 | 2 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 | 5 |
| 2012 | – | 5 |
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 | Patents |
| Australia | 23 |
| Europe (EPO) | 18 |
| New Zealand | 9 |
| United States of America | 6 |
| Canada | 5 |
| United Kingdom | 3 |
| Japan | 3 |
| Italy | 3 |
| Spain | 2 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Brazil | 1 |
Where are Research Centers of McDonald’s Patents Located?
Best Patent of McDonald’s
US7384003B1 is the most popular patent in the McDonald’s portfolio. It has received 16 citations so far from companies like Data Card Corp and Addressograph Multigraph.
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?
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