Which McDonald's branding element was trademarked as a sound in 1962: the “I'm lovin' it” melody or the Golden Arches?

Neither option is correct: the Golden Arches were protected as a visual trademark, while “I'm Lovin' It” did not exist until 2003. McDonald's visual arch mark became a legally protected identifier as the company expanded.

Trademark protection covers source-identifying signs, logos and words, and McDonald's has registered many versions of its arches and related branding. A melody can sometimes receive copyright or sound-mark protection, but that is separate from the historical 1962 arch trademark story.

The date 1962 is linked to McDonald's branding development and trademark activity, not to the later slogan melody. This distinction helps avoid conflating logo history, advertising music and trademark law.