IPR Strategy of KFC

Introduction

KFC is based in Kentucky. It one of the most popular chicken food chain. It was founded in 1930s by cooking and serving food to the hungry individuals. It was in 1952 when it began as a franchise and was names as KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. It has more than 15000 units round the globe. It is known to be the 1^st fast food MNC to enter India after the policy of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation. The idea of the tagline “Finger Likin’ Good” very much represents the idea that the product can be eaten with bare hands and the fingers can be liked instead of washing them off.

IPR Strategy

Many individuals all throughout the planet know about the initials 'K-F-C' and the person Colonel Harland Sanders. The initials 'K-F-C' and the picture of Colonel Sanders are the two brand names enlisted by KFC Corporation with the USPTO. These are exemplary brand names – most buyers know and partner KFC and the Colonel Sanders character with the chain of seared chicken eateries claimed by Yum! Brands.

KFC likewise claims various copyrights. While the overall idea of 'The Colonel' and his resemblance are ensured by brand name, explicit drawings of Colonel Sanders, the TV promotions in which the person shows up, and even photos of the genuine Col. Harland Sanders, are completely ensured by copyrights.

KFC's brand names and copyrights are completely connected with the marking and promoting of the cafés. However, shouldn't something be said about the item?

The KFC chicken is the result of two significant parts: the covering of the chicken and the conditions under which the chicken is cooked. On September 26, 1962, Col. Harland Sanders recorded a patent application for the method involved with delivering singed chicken under tension. That application at last became U.S. Patent No. 3,245,800. In the 800 Patent, Col. Sanders guaranteed a course of making seared chicken including covering said chicken with a wet layer of breading material and cooking the breaded chicken in hot fat under tension. It took 3 ½ years to issue, however when the patent was given the particular interaction Col. Sanders used to put his on the map chicken was made accessible for the whole world to examine. This is the compromise with licenses, you get a 20-year lawful imposing business model on the protected innovation, however in return, you are needed to uncover all that you think about the development.

Notice that Col. Sanders did exclude the particular arrangement of the soggy layer of breading material in his patent. The damp layer of breading material is clearly Col. Sander's well known unique formula of 11 spices and flavours, supposedly recorded distinctly on a solitary piece of paper by Col. Sanders himself and known to just a chosen handful individual. The proprietary innovation made Col. Sanders an extremely affluent individual. By not protecting the particular unique formula, Colonel Sanders forestalled public revelation of the specific formula and had the option to charge cafés an expense to send pre-made breading material to use on their own chicken.

Licensing the first formula would have revealed the equation to the world, permitting contenders to endeavour to reproduce the formula and flavour without encroaching the patent and that patent security would have lapsed many years prior. All things being equal, Col. Sanders decided to patent the method involved with making the chicken while securing the formula as a proprietary innovation. Col. Sanders consequently had a strategy for implementation (the patent) to at first crush rivalry, in addition to something to offer to other people (the pre-blended breading) to bring in cash and assemble his image, while holding the proprietary innovation to keep on building the brand once the patent assurance terminated.

The information regarding the Copyright and Trademark restriction are clearly stated in the KFC website. It states as follows:

• COPYRIGHT-

The KFC Website, all pictures, text, illustrations, logos, sound, programs and some other material ("Content") found on the KFC Website are ensured by brand name, copyright, or other licensed innovation laws and global arrangements. Any business utilization of the KFC Website and Content found on the KFC Website is totally precluded, without KFC's express and earlier composed assent. Any proliferation or reallocation of KFC Delivery Service, and Content found on the KFC Website, not as per the TOU thus is explicitly disallowed by law, and may bring about serious common and criminal punishments.

Components of the KFC Website, its plan and format are ensured by profession dress and different laws and may not be replicated or imitated in entire or to some extent.

No logo, realistic, sound or picture from this Website might be duplicated or retransmitted except if explicitly allowed by KFC.

• TRADEMARK-

KFC saves all rights in its corporate names, administration marks, logos, trademarks, brand names, sites and space names (by and large "Imprints") and nothing in this TOU awards you the permit to utilize such Marks. Moreover, different imprints which show up on this site might be characteristics of outsiders that are not partnered with KFC. KFC and the KFC Group don't control or embrace the substance of outsider sites.

• PATENTS:

KFC relied heavily on patents to safeguard its unique method of deep-frying chicken without drying it out at first. These original patents have since expired, and equipment-specific patents have taken their place. KFC is increasingly relying on its global renown in its trademarks, while maintaining a phantom of appealing know-how in its secret mix of "11 herbs and spices." Pressurized cooking system, pumping system, hot oil re-circulating system, deep fat frying system, pressure release valve, frying equipment, and other patents cover KFC's unique cooking equipment. Also, only KFC's composite bucket and interactive box have been granted patents.

CONCLUSION:

To make intellectual property rights work for a food business, one must think about it and plan ahead of time. An intellectual property strategy, like the recipes and formulas that are being created, necessitates a grasp of the elements, and no two businesses will ever come up with the same mix. Considering the objectives early on and seeking advice on how to proceed in order to optimise the value of one’s intellectual property and position yourself for future growth.