"I venture to ask, "the 3rd-century Chinese sage Kuo Hsiang ventured to ask, "whether the Creator is or is not. If He is not, how can He create things? And if He is, then (being one of these things) He is incapable (without self-creation) of creating the mass of bodily forms."

The American fast-food giant McDonald's has lost an eight-year legal battle to prevent a Malaysian restaurant calling itself McCurry.

McDonald's argued that the use of the "Mc" prefix infringed its trademark.

But the Federal Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that there was no evidence to show McCurry was trying to pass itself off as part of the McDonald's empire.

The owner of McCurry insists its "Mc" prefix is an abbreviation for Malaysian Chicken Curry.

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I have always been amazed about patents and copyrights.... Does god have the copyright on our hairy underarms? In many ways patents and copyrights have hindered human development, in other ways they have enforced alternative solutions. For example I use many different computer programs and at every turn of keys and of the mouse I smell that someone somewhere created a menu style that is patented thus other bodgers have had to invent a different convoluted cascade of stuff to achieve the same result.

We know the CSIRO invented the stable wireless "microwave" communication between items such as printers, computers keyboards etc, (also used in Wii I believe) The CSIRO had to sue some users for failing to pay royalties. We also know about this firm led by a bloke who invented the special system with unlock password key that allows you to download a programme, test it, pay for it therafter and use it beyond its limited testing life, forever... These are good Australian inventions ranging up-there with the black box recorder of flight on planes. The fellow who invented the test and unlock system sued Microsoft for using the patented "technology" without paying dues... He won half a billion bucks on this one...

But sometimes one can be too precious about one's invention. I often feel I invented the wheel and the hamburger in a different lifetime, while I have created lots of "new" stuff that is mine alone during this term alone...

In regard to Mac, The Macbook also carries the prefix mac, so do a zillion Scots under their tartan, including Mc. The possible problem with the people of MacDonald is that they sometimes do not recognise that a little generosity or affability can go a long way towards goodwill. Goodwill may not pay the bills but may give customers a bit of a glow and pleasantly grease the subconscious of the anti-fast-food lobby...

But in my day, one would have made a Mafia-style raid or made a financial offer on the opposition, with an deal they could not refuse even if they wished. Seen it before.