Chinese Bubble Tea Chain Molly Tea Ordered to Pay Louis Vuitton $1.5M Over Logo Infringement

A Chinese court has ordered popular bubble tea chain Molly Tea to pay $1.5 million in damages for infringing on Louis Vuitton's iconic four-petal flower monogram trademark. The ruling, made by a court in the eastern Jiangsu province, also requires Molly Tea to issue a public apology and cease using the disputed logo.

The decision has ignited a significant online discussion in China, with a hashtag related to the case garnering hundreds of millions of views and tens of thousands of comments. Reports indicate that Molly Tea and its affiliated companies had multiple trademark applications rejected by the China National Intellectual Property Administration, with only the trademark for "Molly Tea" itself being successfully registered.

Public reaction online has been divided. Many social media users have voiced support for Molly Tea, with some arguing that many Western luxury brand designs are inspired by historical artifacts and that basic geometric shapes have been used universally throughout history. One widely shared comment on the Weibo platform stated, "Give me a break. They're just taking advantage of the fact that our ancestors didn't file for patents." Others defended the court's verdict, urging critics to study law and acknowledging Louis Vuitton's right to protect its registered intellectual property.

Molly Tea and Louis Vuitton have been contacted for comment by the BBC.