Louis Vuitton Wins $1.5M Trademark Case Against Chinese Bubble Tea Chain, Sparking Online Debate
Chinese bubble tea chain Molly Tea has been ordered to pay 10.3 million yuan ($1.5 million) in damages after a court in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, ruled that its logo infringed on Louis Vuitton's iconic four-petal flower monogram trademark. The decision, reported by state media late last week, has ignited a divisive online discussion in China about the boundaries of intellectual property protection and whether Western luxury brands are unfairly leveraging trademark laws against local businesses.
The court also ordered the Shenzhen-based tea company to stop using the logo, issue a public apology, and pay compensation to the French luxury house. According to China Daily, Molly Tea and its affiliated firms had filed multiple trademark applications that were rejected by the China National Intellectual Property Administration — only the one featuring the Chinese characters for "Molly Tea" was successfully registered.
On social media, the case quickly became a flashpoint. A hashtag linked to the ruling garnered over 400 million views and tens of thousands of comments on Weibo. Many users defended Molly Tea's logo, arguing that similar geometric floral patterns have appeared in Chinese art and artifacts for centuries, predating Louis Vuitton's trademark. "Give me a break. They're just taking advantage of the fact that our ancestors didn't file for patents," one commenter wrote. Another on RedNote noted, "Such basic geometric shapes have been used everywhere throughout history, not just China."
But supporters of the court's ruling pushed back. "Those who back Molly Tea's design should study law first," a Weibo user stated, pointing out that Louis Vuitton had already registered the trademark and that intellectual property rights should be respected regardless of industry. Another added that Louis Vuitton is justified in protecting its brand, calling imitation unacceptable even across different market sectors.
The case highlights a broader tension in China's evolving intellectual property landscape. While the country has strengthened IP enforcement in recent years, public sentiment often leans toward protecting local brands perceived as underdogs. This ruling also comes amid a surge in Chinese tea chains going global, raising questions about how aggressively Western luxury brands will police their trademarks in emerging markets.
The BBC has reached out to Molly Tea and Louis Vuitton for additional comment.
Additional reporting by Koh Ewe