The fast food chain KFC is to sue three Chinese firms it accuses of using social media to spread false rumours about its food, including that it used eight-legged chickens.
快餐连锁肯德基将起诉3家中国公司，指控它们在社交媒体上传播关于肯德基的虚假谣言，包括称其使用8条腿的鸡。
KFC is seeking compensation of 1.5m yuan ($242,000, £159,000) and an apology.
肯德基要求150万人民币的赔偿以及道歉。
One of the posts said chickens used by the company were genetically modified to have six wings and eight legs.
一篇帖子称肯德基使用转基因的鸡，有6只翅膀和8条腿。
A case has now been filed before a court in Shanghai.
该案已提交上海法院。
KFC says the rumours appeared in posts on the WeChat app.
肯德基称这些谣言出现在微信中。
In a statement, the fast food giant said (in Chinese) that the rumours had spread through at least 4,000 subsequent posts.
快餐巨头在中文声明中指出，这些谣言被转发至少4000次。
"This not only seriously misled consumers, but also hurt our brand," said Qu Cuirong, KFC China's president.
肯德基中国总裁屈翠容称：“这不仅严重误导了消费者，还损害了我们的品牌。”
The company named the original posters as Shanxi Weilukuang Technology Company Ltd, Taiyuan Zero Point Technology Company and Yingchenanzhi Success and Culture Communication Ltd.
肯德基称最早的帖子来自山西微路况科技有限公司、太原零点科技有限公司和赢陈安之成功文化传播有限公司。
Those firms have not commented on the court complaint.
上述公司尚未回应指控。
By the end of 2014, KFC had 4,828 branches in China, and has been opening hundreds of new outlets every year.
截至2014年底，肯德基在中国开了4828家分店，并将每年再开数百家新店。