Louis Vuitton Wins Trademark Case Against Chinese Tea Chain

A court in Suzhou, China, has ordered the tea chain Molly Tea to pay French luxury brand Louis Vuitton approximately $1.5 million for infringing on the brand's trademark monogram. The ruling has ignited a debate in China regarding the ownership of traditional Chinese symbols and whether Western companies are appropriating them.

The judgment, which is trending online in China, found that Molly Tea's four-petal flower logo infringed on Louis Vuitton's signature monogram. Beijing Daily, a state-owned newspaper, questioned in a Weibo post why a Chinese company had to pay significant damages to a French firm for using a design that appears to echo ancient Chinese patterns. The Global Times, another state-owned newspaper, ran a headline stating that Chinese netizens accuse Louis Vuitton of attempting to monopolize ancient motifs.

Some commentators and Chinese netizens are suggesting that the design Louis Vuitton has used for its 130-year-old monogram may be derived from patterns originating in ancient China. The brand's parent company, LVMH, states that the monogram, designed in 1896, was inspired by neo-Gothic ornamentation and Japonism. Molly Tea, founded in 2021, reportedly plans to appeal the decision. The company's four-petal flower logo was still visible on its website as of Tuesday.

Intellectual property disputes between international and Chinese companies are not uncommon. Previously, American sneaker maker New Balance has successfully pursued Chinese firms in local courts over intellectual property and trademark issues.