Molly Tea ordered to pay Louis Vuitton US$1.5 million for trademark infringement
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
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Sources not specified
Outcome reported
- A Chinese tea chain, Molly Tea, must pay Louis Vuitton US$1.5 million for trademark infringement.
- The Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court ordered Molly Tea to pay for economic losses and litigation expenses, and to post a public statement.
- Molly Tea plans to appeal the ruling, while Louis Vuitton declined to comment.
A Chinese court has ordered the tea chain Molly Tea to pay Louis Vuitton 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5 million) for using a logo similar to the French luxury brand’s signature monogram. The Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court mandated the payment within 10 days, citing economic losses and litigation expenses.
Molly Tea must also publish a statement on its official online platforms to mitigate the infringement's impact. The company, founded in 2021 and operating over 2,000 stores globally, has indicated its intention to appeal the verdict. Louis Vuitton has not commented on the ruling.
The case has ignited public discussion in China. While some argue the brands operate in different sectors or that similar patterns exist in ancient Chinese art, many online users noted the immediate resemblance to Louis Vuitton's logo. China's National Intellectual Property Administration has rejected recent trademark applications by Molly Tea and placed them under review, noting Louis Vuitton's registered monogram in China.
Molly Tea has updated the logo displayed on its mini-program, switching from a black-and-white version to a coloured one.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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