Schwartz denies KFC forced sign removal

A Whitley County Clerk candidate calls rumors that some of her campaign signs violate trademarks owned by Kentucky Fried Chicken untrue and “without merit.”
Kay Smith Schwartz, who is seeking the Republican nomination for clerk, said she was recently contacted by an official from Kentucky Fried Chicken asking questions about some of her campaign literature, but that nothing ever came of it.
“They just wanted some information,” Schwartz said. “They said they didn’t have any merit to the complaint. I’ve been working on my campaign. I haven’t really been worried about stuff like that.”
Corbin attorney Tim Crawford, who is representing Schwartz, said at issue is one version of the candidate’s signs that has “Kay for Clerk” listed vertically. Bold letters KFC on the signs, and some cards, prompted a complaint to the company.
“Nobody though anything about it until a week or so ago and word got out that somebody had complained to KFC that some of her signs implied KFC was endorsing her,” Crawford said. “She came up with the slogan Kay for Clerk. She wasn’t trying to create the impression KFC was endorsing her. I don’t know anybody that has misinterpreted that to be Kentucky Fried Chicken.”
Crawford said he checked with an online directory of registered trademarks to determine if the slogan could possibly be in violation. He said the only trademark for KFC was owned by a Japanese steel company.
A representative from Kentucky Fried Chicken’s public relations department did contact Crawford, but he said there is no problem with the signs.
“He said they assumed since it’s the election season it’s either an opponent or someone who doesn’t support her,” Crawford said. “They said if they had a problem with it, they’d let me know and they haven’t called back.”
Schwartz voluntarily removed some of the signs last week, Crawford said, at his suggestion so that it would not become an undue “distraction” to his client’s campaign.
“KFC has not asked us not to use those signs. Kay said she would just take them down,” Crawford said. “She just did that to keep down any controversy.”