KFC is not only finger-licking-good but also overly protective of its finger-licking-brand. On Friday, November 8, KFC sued Church's Texas Chicken for copyright infringement. The Texas chicken chain had been using the "Original Recipe" brand in its ads, which, according to KFC, could lead to confusion.
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The Yum Brands! subsidiary filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court For The Eastern District of Texas Sherman Division. The 15-page document details how Church's Texas Chicken began using the branding in late September and did not answer KFC's letters.
"On or about September 30, 2024, long after KFC had established its ORIGINAL RECIPE® brand, Defendant abruptly began using the ORIGINAL RECIPE® Mark to promote and brand its own competing line of fried chicken products and restaurant services," the lawsuit reads.
According to the document, KFC sent a letter to Church's Texas Chicken as soon as they saw their use of the "Original Recipe" branding. The letter sent on October 24, 2024, was, allegedly, ignored by Church's. "Defendant ignored KFC's letter and opted instead to expand its use and promotion of the ORIGINAL RECIPE® Mark," reads the lawsuit.
KFC then said that the use of the "Original Recipe" branding is "likely to create confusion," and that Church's actions are causing "irreparable branding damage." KFC has been using the "Original Recipe" branding for half a century. They trademarked the phrase back in 1984, with the recipe having a blend of 11 herbs and spices.
A Chicken Fight
Additionally, one KFC spokesperson talked with Reuters, commenting about the lawsuit and copyright infringement. "On behalf of all fried chicken lovers out there, we take it personally when another company tries to claim our iconic taste and branding as their own," the spokesperson said. "We remain committed to protecting our brand's intellectual property and safeguarding the experience of our customers."
KFC asks for the immediate shutdown of all ads featuring the "Original Recipe" branding on behalf of Church's Texas Chicken. Additionally, among other things, they ask for Church's to not use any other "unfair competition" practices and refrain from destroying any records in connection with the "Original Recipe" branding.
