All I Wanted Is a PB&J

What are the corporations going to think of next? From Apple wanting to patent the word Pod as in iPod to Microsoft patenting everything they can think of. Well, McDonalds has reached the heights of patenting a generic, public product.

It seems McDonalds want to own the rights to how a sandwich is made.

They applied for a patent which describes the ‘method and apparatus’ used to make a sandwich. It says they need to own the ‘intellectual property rights’ to the process so their employees can all make the same sandwich.

Now here is where it gets funny.

They write a 55 page, yes page, patent which covers the ‘simultaneous toasting of the bread component’.

The garnishes of lettuce tomatoes, salt, pepper and ketchup are inserted into the cavity in a ‘sandwich delivery tool’. Hmmmm can you say pass me the bun?

Ok this is actually confusing.

The ‘bread component’ is placed over the cavity and the assembly tool is inverted to tip out the contents. Finally the filling is placed in the ‘bread component’. Crap and I thought McD’s employees were sorta…well you know.

Now this is the best part.

The patent also explains, let me quote this, ‘Often the sandwich filling is the source of the name of the sandwich, for example, ham sandwich.’

Holy, too many freaking lawyers Batman.

Watch out. If the sandwich is now some corporation's intellectual property what’s next??

Pass me a ham and cheese on Rye bread component please