MOLLY TEA ORDERED TO PAY £1.1M OVER LOUIS VUITTON LOGO

A court in Suzhou, in eastern China's Jiangsu province, has ordered Molly Tea to pay 10.3 million yuan (£1.1 million) in damages to Louis Vuitton after ruling that the tea chain's logo infringed the luxury brand's trademark. The court also ordered the Shenzhen-based company to cease using the logo and to issue a public apology. According to Chinese state media, the court found that Molly Tea had copied Louis Vuitton's four-petal flower monogram design. The ruling has generated substantial public debate in China, with a related hashtag accumulating over 400 million views and tens of thousands of comments on social media.

Molly Tea and its affiliated firms had applied for multiple trademark registrations, but only the version containing Chinese characters for "Molly Tea" was successfully registered with the China National Intellectual Property Administration. The case has divided Chinese public opinion online, with supporters of Molly Tea arguing that basic geometric shapes have been used throughout history and that Western luxury brands have themselves drawn inspiration from Chinese artefacts. Some commenters stated they would continue purchasing from the company in protest. Other social media users supported the court's decision, contending that Louis Vuitton's prior trademark registration gives it legitimate grounds to protect its intellectual property.

The dispute reflects ongoing tensions in China regarding copyright and trademark enforcement. The BBC contacted both Molly Tea and Louis Vuitton for comment but has not yet reported responses.