Defamation of character is a term that is used to describe when false statement is written or spoken about an individual with the intent of harming or slandering their reputation. Unfortunately, defamation of character claims are extremely difficult to be proven in the court of law despite the fact that they are The Law Dictionary Featuring Black's Law Dictionary Free Online Legal Dictionary 2nd Ed.
McDonald's is a publicly-traded corporation, but most of its retail branches are not owned or operated by the company itself. Instead, they are owned by independent business owners through franchise agreements.
According to Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (2001), nearly one in eight workers in the US have at some time been employed by McDonald's. The book also states that McDonald's is the largest private operator of playgrounds in the U.S., as well as the single largest purchaser of beef, pork, potatoes, and apples.