A Chinese court has ordered the tea chain Molly Tea to pay 10.3 million yuan (approximately HK$11.9 million) in damages to the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton for using a logo resembling the latter's iconic four-petalled floral monogram without authorization.
The Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu province ruled this week that Shenzhen-based Molly Tea must make the payment within 10 days. The compensation includes 10 million yuan for economic losses and an additional 300,000 yuan to cover legal costs. In addition to the financial penalty, the court mandated that Molly Tea publish statements across its six official online platforms—including its website, mini-program, and social media accounts on Weibo, WeChat, RedNote, and Douyin—to mitigate the negative impact of the trademark infringement.
The dispute originated when Louis Vuitton filed the civil lawsuit on May 15, 2022, citing unauthorized use of its registered monogram in China. Louis Vuitton’s monogram pattern is officially registered in the country, while Molly Tea’s trademark applications in 2024 have been rejected and are currently under review by the China National Intellectual Property Administration.
Molly Tea has responded by updating its logo displayed on its mini-program, changing from a black-and-white version to a colored one. The company has also indicated plans to file an appeal against the court’s ruling. Louis Vuitton declined to comment on the case.
Founded in 2021, Molly Tea now operates more than 2,000 stores worldwide, including locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. The lawsuit has sparked significant discussion online, with some users arguing that the two brands serve different markets or noting similarities to traditional Chinese patterns, while many others remarked that the logo strongly evoked Louis Vuitton’s design.
The case highlights ongoing tensions in China’s intellectual property enforcement, particularly involving foreign luxury brands and rapidly expanding domestic businesses.