Metaverse Burgers: McDonald's patents virtual restaurants
Food intake in the metaverse is a bit complicated. But there are delivery services for real hunger. Convenient, then, if they respond to a Metaverse order, McDonald's thinks and applies for the relevant patents.
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben shares on Twitter that McDonald's has filed ten trademark applications so far around the topics of virtual restaurants, virtual goods and virtual restaurants in connection with real deliveries.
It would be conceivable, for example, that you could make an appointment as an avatar at a Metaverse McDonald's or McCafe, place a virtual order there, and then the delivery service would arrive in reality.
Think about it this way.... you are hanging out in the metaverse and get hungry. You don't have to put down your headset. You walk into a McDonald's and place an order. It arrives at your door a little while later.
- Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) February 10, 2022
McDonald's and McCafe's as virtual places to experience.
According to Forbes, one reason for visiting McDonald's in the metaverse - besides avatar meetings - could be to attend a virtual concert, for example, or to take advantage of other entertainment offerings that don't exist in reality. NFTs can also be on the menu, according to the patents.
U.S. bakery chain Panera Bread applied for similar patents for a "Paneraverse" that features virtual entertainment, NFTs and a rewards program, among other things. The digital NFTs, in turn, could be used to buy real goods in real stores.
Companies respond to the metaverse hype
Only time will tell if the current Metaverse hype is sustainable. The announcements by Meta CEO Zuckerberg have at least ensured that some companies - especially in China - are patenting suitable ideas and brands.
Nike, for example, is applying for a Metaverse patent for the "Nikeverse" and also announced a cooperation with 3D gaming company Roblox for "Nikeland" (see video). Nike also recently bought digital fashion and collectibles startup RTFKT. Giant U.S. retailer Walmart also filed Metaverse patents, and fashion retailer GAP is experimenting with an NFT collection.
In any case, trademark attorney Gerben expects McDonald's to get the patents approved in the next few months - and that many more companies with similar ideas will follow suit.
“When you see this critical mass of large companies making this many new trademark filings, it’s very clear this is coming,” Gerben said.
“I think you’re going to see every brand that you can think of make these filings within the next 12 months,” Gerben added. “I don’t think anyone wants to be the next Blockbuster and just completely ignore a new technology that’s coming.”
Read more about the Metaverse:
- Metas Metaverse: Experiment exposes serious moderation problems
- I love Virtual Reality - but I couldn't care less about the Metaverse
- Love in the Metaverse: This Documentary Impresses the Critics
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