KFC Files Lawsuit Against Church's Texas Chicken Over Trademarked 'Original Recipe' Phrase

KFC has initiated a lawsuit against Church's Texas Chicken, alleging that the chain infringed on its trademark by using the phrase "original recipe" in its promotional materials. The legal action was filed last week in federal court in Texas. KFC claims that Church's began employing this branding to advertise its fried chicken as recently as September, featuring slogans like "Our original recipe is back" alongside enticing images of their chicken offerings across various platforms, including television and social media.

KFC contends that it sent a formal objection letter to Church's in October regarding the use of the term, but received no response.

For over fifty years, KFC has leveraged the trademarked phrase "original recipe" as a fundamental element of its marketing strategy. The company asserts that this phrase highlights their unique fried chicken recipe, which consists of "a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices resulting in a distinctive flavor."

"That combination of 11 herbs and spices is one of the most well-known, iconic trade secrets in the food industry. And it is that combination of ingredients that KFC has promoted with the original recipe mark,"

the lawsuit elaborates.

KFC has expressed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas that Church's continued use of this trademarked phrase could lead to consumer confusion and potentially harm KFC’s brand reputation.