WASHINGTON Burger King franchisee that sued McDonald’s Corp. for alleged false advertising in connection with Monopoly promotions and other games that were fraudulently rigged by employees of a marketing firm. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
BK operator Phoenix of Broward Inc. filed the lawsuit under provisions of the federal Lanham Act, alleging that McDonald’s ads for the promotional games mis-represented the public’s chances of winning millions of dollars in prizes and drew business away from Phoenix’s Burger King restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resulting in added business costs. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
The case stemmed from the revelation of a 2001 sting in which McDonald’s cooperated with the FBI on a rigged Monopoly game that helped nab the ring of fraudsters. They had bilked the chain out of more than $13 million by arranging to claim cash prizes using stolen game pieces over the course of six years starting in 1995. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
The U.S. District Court in Atlanta initially dismissed the case for lack of standing, and that ruling was upheld by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals there last June. The Supreme Court’s rejection last Monday of Phoenix’s appeal was issued without comment. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
In 2005 the National Franchisee Association of Burger King operators also sued McDonald’s for alleged false advertising and unfair competition in connection with the promotions. The association withdrew the suit a week later. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
During the time of the promotions, a crime ring that included employees of Simon Marketing Inc., McDonald’s promotional agency, rigged the games and stole millions of dollars in winning game pieces. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
When the FBI was tipped off to the crime ring in 2000 it asked McDonald’s to assist efforts to nab the leaders. Convictions later were obtained from among the more than 50 people indicted in the scandal, including the security director of Simon Marketing. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
McDonald’s eventually awarded $25 million in prizes to settle consumer lawsuits stemming from the rigged promotions and resumed the Monopoly game in 2003 after firing Simon and improving security measures to prevent fraud. —The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Florida
