Martin's Potato Chips sues Old Lyme Gourmet Co. (Deep River Snacks) over kettle logo.

Martin's Potato Chips Inc. has launched a federal trademark infringement lawsuit to fend off what it claims is a competitor's illegal incursion on its kettle logo.

The target of the suit, filed this week in U.S. Middle District Court, is Old Lyme Gourmet Co., a Connecticut firm that makes Deep River Snacks.

Martin's is asking Judge Yvette Kane to order Old Lyme to stop using a kettle logo to promote its products. It wants the court to make Old Lyme pay it for what it claims is its rival's attempt to capitalize on Martin's reputation in the munchie industry.

It is undeniable that both firms use kettle logos. Kane is being asked to decide if the two symbols are close enough in appearance to constitute a violation of federal law.

The Martin's symbol is a black, old-fashioned kettle with feet that is depicted in profile steam rising from its mouth. The Old Lyme logo features a kettle viewed from a different angle, into the mouth, framed by a white circle with a platter of partly-sliced potatoes in the lower right corner.

Martin's claims that Old Lyme's logo "is likely to cause consumers to be confused or mistaken" into believing Old Lyme's snacks are somehow connected to Martin's products.