Chinese Tea Chain Molly Tea Ordered
to Pay Louis Vuitton US$1.5 mn for Trademark
Infringement
Shenzhen-based Molly Tea says it plans to
appeal against the ruling
·
The Suzhou
Intermediate People's Court ruled that Molly Tea had unauthorisedly used
a logo similar to Louis Vuitton's iconic four-petalled floral monogram.
·
The court
directed Molly Tea to pay the compensation within 10 days of the ruling.
·
The
damages comprise:
o
10
million yuan for economic losses.
o
300,000
yuan towards reasonable litigation expenses.
·
The civil
lawsuit was filed by Louis Vuitton on 15 May 2025, according to Chinese
corporate information platform Tianyancha.
·
The China
National Intellectual Property Administration stated that:
o
Louis
Vuitton had already registered its monogram trademark in China.
o
Molly
Tea's trademark applications filed in 2024 were rejected and placed
under review.
·
The
ruling has triggered widespread debate on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
·
Some
users argued that the two companies operate in different industries or that
similar floral motifs existed in traditional Chinese designs.
·
Others
said Molly Tea's logo immediately reminded them of Louis Vuitton, supporting
the court's finding of trademark infringement.
·
Founded
in 2021, Molly Tea has expanded rapidly and now operates more than
2,000 stores worldwide.
·
The
company has international outlets in the United States, Canada, Australia,
the United Kingdom, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore.
[ABS News Service/03.07.2026]
Chinese
tea chain Molly Tea has been ordered to pay Louis Vuitton 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5
million) in damages for the unauthorised use of a logo similar to the French luxury
brand’s four-petalled floral monogram.
The
Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, ruled this
week that Shenzhen-based Molly Tea must pay the amount within 10 days.
It
said the compensation in the trademark infringement lawsuit included 10 million
yuan for economic losses and 300,000 yuan for reasonable litigation expenses.
Chinese
tea chain Molly Tea has been ordered to pay Louis Vuitton 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5
million) in damages for the unauthorised use of a logo similar to the French luxury
brand’s four-petalled floral monogram.
The
Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, ruled this
week that Shenzhen-based Molly Tea must pay the amount within 10 days.
It
said the compensation in the trademark infringement lawsuit included 10 million
yuan for economic losses and 300,000 yuan for reasonable litigation expenses.
This
civil case was filed on May 15 last year, according to Tianyancha,
a Chinese corporate information provider.
The
China National Intellectual Property Administration said trademark applications
filed by Molly Tea in 2024 were rejected and placed under review.
It
said Louis Vuitton had registered its monogram pattern in China.
The
lawsuit has sparked heated online debate in China. Some postings on Weibo said the
two brands operated in different industries or that comparable patterns were used
in ancient China, but many said the logo immediately reminded them of Louis Vuitton.
Founded
in 2021, Molly Tea said it now operates more than 2,000 stores around the world,
with overseas outlets in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom,
Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.