They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but a longtime Chicago fried chicken institution said imitation went too far after a new business opened with a very similar name.

The owners of the original accuse the new restaurant of copying them.

Famous for its fried chicken and secret sauce, Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken, 5611 W. Madison St., has been a fixture on Chicago's West Side since the 1960s.

"I took over the business. I'm second generation," said Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken chief executive officer Charmaine Rickette, "and it means a lot."

Rickette said her family's chicken legacy was nearly plucked right from her last month.

A new business called Uncle Remy's Saucy Fried Chicken popped up in south suburban Lansing and on Chicago's South Side, and was taking orders under the same name.

"Someone is definitely using our name and likeness," said Rickette. "It's not fair for someone to come in and capitalize."

The Uncle Remy's restaurants have no affiliation with the real Uncle Remus.

"It had people confused, because the product wasn't the same," Rickette said.

Rickette owns several trademarks for the business name and sent the owners of Uncle Remy's a cease-and-desist letter. The name "Remy's" and the word "Saucy" were then removed from the signs at Uncle Remy's, leaving "Uncle Fried Chicken" as the new name.

The owners of what used to be Uncle Remy's say they never intended to copy or imitate Uncle Remus, and chalk it all up to a misunderstanding.

It amounts to a golden victory for the Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken legacy.

"I knew it was important for the community that we stood up for our brand," Rickette said. "When you build a brand, you don't want that infringed upon at all."

The owner of Uncle Remus said at last check, both of the former Uncle Remy's locations have complied with the cease-and-desist and removed all of the signage.