A Chinese court ordered bubble-tea chain Molly Tea to pay damages and issue a public apology for infringing on Louis Vuitton's trademark [1], [2].
The ruling underscores the increasing willingness of Chinese courts to protect international intellectual property rights against domestic companies. As luxury brands continue to expand their footprint in the region, such legal precedents serve as a warning to local businesses regarding the risks of visual mimicry.
The dispute centered on Molly Tea's use of a logo that the court found copied Louis Vuitton's signature four-petal flower design [1], [3]. In addition to the financial penalty, the court ordered the tea chain to cease all use of the disputed logo [2], [4].
Reports on the exact financial penalty vary across sources. The Global Times reported damages of $15.2 million [5], while other sources cited lower figures including $1.96 million [4], 10.3 million yuan [3], $1.5 million [2], or £1.1 million [1].
This legal action follows a pattern of luxury fashion houses aggressively pursuing trademark infringement cases in Asia to maintain brand exclusivity. The court's decision requires a full cessation of the branding and a public admission of the infringement [2], [4].
“A Chinese court ordered Molly Tea to pay damages and issue a public apology”
This ruling reflects a shift in the Chinese legal landscape toward stricter enforcement of intellectual property laws for foreign entities. By penalizing a popular domestic chain like Molly Tea, the court is signaling that the 'luxury' aesthetic cannot be appropriated by unrelated industries without legal consequence, likely encouraging other global brands to pursue similar claims in the region.
