If you didn’t catch it when the news first broke, McDonald’s recently filed a bunch of trademark applications specifically for use in the metaverse. While little is known about the move, there are a couple of potential explanations for it.

Back in February, the company filed some 10 patents with the US Patent and Trademark Office. These patents covered a range of things, from “virtual food and beverage products” to “Entertainment services […] providing on-line actual and virtual concerts and other virtual events.”

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Trademark lawyer Josh Gerben tweeted that part of these patents include ‘operating a virtual restaurant featuring home delivery’, which would mean items ordered from the metaverse McDonald’s could end up on your real-life doorstep.

At the time of writing, the plan for these patents hasn’t been revealed, but there are a few theories floating around. On the one hand, McDonald’s could be one of the world’s first major corporations to really dive into the metaverse. On the other, the patents might simply be to protect the brand on there and prevent copycats from setting up shop using the corporation’s name.

Either way, it’s something we’re going to keep tabs on as the metaverse continues to mature.