Burger King is an international US-based fast-food chain headquartered in Miami, Florida. It was founded in Jacksonville in the 1950s, but following financial difficulties, the Burger King Corporation was acquired by David Edgerton and James McLamore, changing the location. The company has changed hands four times since. In 2010 a majority stake was acquired by 3G Capital, a Brazilian company. Eventually, 3G and partner Berkshire Hathaway merged with Tim Hortons.
Burger King’s offerings have expanded from burgers, sodas, and milkshakes to more diverse products.
Burger King has at least 18,000 outlets across 100 countries, but almost half are located in the US. Most are privately owned in a franchise model. How franchisees are licensed varies depending on the region. Some franchises, known as master franchises, are also responsible for issuing licenses. There have been many disputes between Burger King and its franchisees, requiring court cases from time to time. Burger King found itself at the heart of a copyright dispute in Australia, resulting in its Australian business operations trading under the Hungry Jack’s brand.
Famous Burger King trademarks
Burger King is the second-largest burger chain in the world and serves more than 11 million customers per day. Such an impressive corporation is bound to have an array of trademarks, and Burger King doesn’t disappoint. Let’s take a look at some of the most well-known trademarks registered with the trademark office by The Burger King Corporation.
Home of the whopper
Burger King’s first trademark application was submitted for the slogan, ‘home of the whopper‘.
The trademark was registered in 1965 for use in:
- Drive-in restaurant services
Have it your way
Another slogan trademarked by Burger King is ‘have it your way’, trademarked in 1973 for use in:
- Steak and fish sandwiches, burgers, and other food
- Restaurant services
- Non-alcoholic drinks
Where kids are king
The slogan ‘where kids are king’ was often seen in Burger King advertising during the Kid’s Club era in the 90s. The slogan was first registered in 1974 for use in:
- Fast-food restaurant services
Original Burger King logo
Burger King is one of the brands that has kept a pretty standardized logo. The famous Burger King logo features the words ‘Burger King’ in a stylized font and ‘sandwiched’ between two pieces of bread. This logo was first used in 1969 and was officially registered in 1977 for use in:
- Carry-out food and restaurant services
- Metal key chains
- Pocket knives
- Calculators, radios, and cameras
- Flashlights and penlights
- Clocks and lapel pins
- Paper products include writing paper, pens, pencils, drawing rulers, stationery-type portfolios, desk folders, printed awards, playing cards, and newsletters featuring restaurant promotions
- Briefcases, coin purses, and other bags
- Towels
- Portable beverage coolers
- T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and other clothing
- Toy products such as stuffed animals
Related: Trademarking a logo, step by step
Whopper
The Whopper is one of Burger King’s most popular products, with billions sold over the last 50+ years. Burger King trademarked the Whopper in 1957, and the trademark applies in the following categories:
- Hot sandwiches
- Restaurant services
America’s favorite burger
In 2013, Burger King trademarked ‘America’s favorite burger’ following its first use in 2002. It’s trademarked for use in:
- Food and drink restaurant services
- Sandwiches, including burgers and other hot sandwiches
King Deals
King Deals are popular Burger King deals across its thousands of restaurants. The trademark application for ‘King Deals’ was submitted in 2014 in the following categories:
- Chicken pieces, potato fries, hash browns, and burgers made of beef, chicken, and fish. Poultry and french fries cooked for consumption on or off-premises
- Hamburger, fish, chicken, or veggie sandwiches. Breakfast sandwiches
- Services of providing food and drink; temporary accommodation; food and drink take-out restaurant services; restaurant services
- Fast-food restaurant services; quick-service restaurant services; self-service restaurant services; restaurant and bar services including take-out; providing prepared meals; preparation of food or meals for consumption on or off the premises
King JR
The King JR meals are smaller versions of the Burger King package, often including ice cream or similar desserts. The ‘King JR’ trademark was registered in 2018 after its first use in 2015. The trademark is registered in the following categories:
- Hamburger, fish, chicken, and veggie sandwiches
- French toast and pancakes
- Chicken pieces, potato fries, hash browns, and burgers made of beef, chicken, and fish. Poultry and french fries cooked for consumption on or off-premises
- Services of providing food and drink; temporary accommodation; food and drink take-out restaurant services; restaurant services
- Fast-food restaurant services; quick-service restaurant services; self-service restaurant services; restaurant and bar services including take-out; providing prepared meals; preparation of food or meals for consumption on or off the premises
- Desserts, including ice cream, cinnamon rolls, etc.
- Topping syrups, including coffee-flavored syrup
- Pies
- Nuts processed and unprocessed
Drink it your way
Related to a previous trademark, ‘have it your way‘, Burger King trademarked ‘drink it your way’ in 1998 for use in:
- Restaurant and carry out food services
- Soft drinks of all kinds
Since 1954 logo
This logo acknowledges Burger King’s long-running history in the food industry. The logo consists of a chef wearing an apron, holding a spatula above the words ‘since 1954‘. This logo became a registered trademark in 2018 (following its first use in 2014). It’s registered in:
- Services of providing food and drink; temporary accommodation; food and drink take-out restaurant services; restaurant services
- Fast-food restaurant services; quick-service restaurant services; self-service restaurant services; restaurant and bar services including take-out; providing prepared meals; preparation of food or meals for consumption on or off the premises
King Deals
King Deals are good value bundled meals offered for a low price. The trademark was registered in 2016 for use in:
- Chicken pieces, potato fries, hash browns, and burgers made of beef, chicken, and fish. Poultry and french fries cooked for consumption on or off-premises
- Services of providing food and drink; temporary accommodation; food and drink take-out restaurant services; restaurant services
- Hamburger, fish, chicken, or veggie sandwiches. Breakfast sandwiches
- Fast-food restaurant services; quick-service restaurant services; self-service restaurant services; restaurant and bar services including take-out; providing prepared meals; preparation of food or meals for consumption on or off the premises
Burger King
This list wouldn’t be complete without Burger King’s own brand name. The name ‘Burger King’ was trademarked in 1970 following its first use in 1957. It’s trademarked in:
- Hot sandwiches
- Soft drinks
- Restaurant services
A recent trademark application was submitted to expand the trademark to include several other categories. If approved, it could apply to:
- Retail services featuring virtual goods
- Entertainment services, including virtual cafe environments
- Downloadable virtual goods such as NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and virtual currencies
Wrapping up
Trademark law allows you to protect all of your intellectual property via federal trademark registration. You can register your trademarks with the USPTO to prevent anyone else from benefitting from your hard work. Burger King has already found itself at the center of several trademark infringement disputes, so it’s no surprise they regularly trademark their unique brands.
Second only to McDonald’s, Burger King is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world. Burger King has been submitting trademark applications since 1957 and owns more than 50 trademarks, including pending applications.
