The owners of the popular Golden Krust food chain in New York have filed a lawsuit to stop a rival Jamaican food company – Silver Krust from partially using its name.

In papers filed in the Manhattan Federal Court on Friday, Golden Krust said it has been among the most successful minority-owned businesses in the US since opening in the 1990s, and the knockoff is hurting its reputation.

Golden Krust claims that Silver Krust sells some of its products, and have gradually expanded the Silver Krust restaurant locations so that they have become closer to genuine Golden Krust restaurants.

Golden Krust further says there are currently six Silver Krust restaurants in Brooklyn and Queens, and there’s been confusion about the relationship between the two chains.

The suit claims that when a Golden Krust representative communicated with Silver Krust about the problem, a Silver Krust official readily apologised for the name, but failed to change it.

Golden Krust wants a court order forcing Silver Krust to change its name and to grant unspecified money damages for blatant trademark infringement.

Silver Krust lawyer Bruce Colfin said he’s yet to see the lawsuit, adding that the dispute is more complicated than it sounds.

He told the New York Daily News that Silver Krust has been in business for several years, and that Golden Krust should have spoken up earlier.