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Louis Vuitton wins trademark case against Chinese milk tea brand, sues Chinese government agency
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Louis Vuitton wins trademark case against Chinese milk tea brand, sues Chinese government agency

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Louis Vuitton has won a trademark infringement lawsuit against a Chinese milk tea brand, Molly Tea, for using a similar pattern.
  • The luxury brand has also filed an administrative lawsuit against China's National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), with a hearing scheduled.
  • The case raises questions in China about whether traditional Chinese patterns can be exclusively trademarked by foreign brands.

French luxury brand Louis Vuitton has secured a victory in a trademark infringement case against a Chinese milk tea brand, Molly Tea. The lawsuit centered on Molly Tea's alleged use of a design similar to Louis Vuitton's iconic four-petal flower pattern.

A court in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, ruled on July 2 that seven of Louis Vuitton's trademarks had been infringed, ordering Molly Tea to pay 10.3 million yuan (approximately $1.4 million) in damages. Molly Tea has announced plans to appeal the decision.

seven of Louis Vuitton's trademarks were infringed

— Suzhou Intermediate People's CourtThe court's ruling in the trademark infringement case against Molly Tea.

In parallel, Louis Vuitton has initiated an administrative lawsuit against China's National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). A hearing for this case is scheduled for July 16 at the Beijing Intellectual Property Court. The specific details of the dispute and the trademarks involved in this administrative action have not yet been disclosed.

The legal battles have sparked debate within China, with some questioning whether traditional Chinese patterns, such as the "baoxianghua" (precious flower) motif, should be granted exclusive trademark protection to foreign brands. This sentiment suggests a growing nationalistic undercurrent in intellectual property disputes.

Molly Tea has announced plans to appeal the decision.

— Molly TeaThe milk tea brand's response to the court's ruling.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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