Irish fast food chain, Supermac's may have to delay its plans for world domination. McDonald's has said that its name infringes on the company's trademarks - and that it doesn't want the chain using it in the region. The company had hoped to open its first Australian restaurant in Sydney before the end of this year.

Reports of the legal action first emerged when Supermac's founder Pat McDonagh told the Irish Independent that the move into the Australian market could be stalled because of a trademark claim made by a, "major international operator."

The paper later learned that McDonald's had filed an objection to the Australian government over the use of the name. Records show that McDonald's is set to argue its case in March of next year.

Mr McDonagh has also indicated his intention to open a second Supermac's in Perth.

McDonald's were previously involved in a high profile, and long running legal dispute with a Malaysian restaurant which called itself McCurry - this was billed as a precedent-setting case and McDonald's lost.

The company does however have a track record of successes in similar cases - MacJoy in the Philippines, McCoffee in the US and McMunchies in Scotland were all forced to change their names under legal pressure from the American company. McDonald's has claimed to have trademarked the Mc (and apparently Mac) prefix.