KFC claims that Church's use of the phrase "original recipe" in its own advertisements "is likely to create confusion in the marketplace.

KFC and Church’s are in a beef over fried chicken. The chain formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken has sued its competitor for the recent use of the term “Original Recipe” in promotions. KFC has used “Original Recipe” for more than 50 years to ...

The phrase "Our original recipe is back" doesn't seem a likely one to inspire litigation, and yet here we are. As CNN reports, iconic purveyor of all things fried chicken, KFC, has filed a lawsuit against Church's Texas Chicken—not over its swiping of the fast-food holy grail of 11 herbs and spices (which remains a state,

A Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) bucket of mixed fried and grilled chicken is seen in this picture illustration taken April 6, 2017. Reuters / Carlo Allegri "Original recipe" has been trademarked by KFC since 1984. Because of this, the chicken chain is ...

HOUSTON — No, not the recipe itself. Just the literal phrase. Last week, KFC accused Church's Texas Chicken of violating its trademark rights when its fried chicken competitor began using the words "Original Recipe" in its advertising and promotions.

KFC’s “Original Recipe” trademark, which it says is a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, has long been part of the company’s branding. The blend is closely guarded, and the company calls it one of the most “iconic trade secrets in the food industry.” It first trademarked the phrase in 1984.

KFC claims Church’s use of the marketing phrase will deceive customers into thinking they are buying items from KFC.