Louis Vuitton court victory against Chinese tea chain stirs up a debate over copyrights

A Louis Vuitton court victory against a Chinese tea chain has reignited debate over who can claim traditional Chinese symbols for commercial use. In Suzhou, an eastern-city court ruled that Molly Tea’s four-petal flower logo infringed Louis Vuitton’s trademark monogram, which the French brand says traces to a design created in 1896. The court ordered Molly Tea to pay 10.3 million yuan (about $1.5 million). Critics in China, including state-linked outlets and online commentators, questioned whether the monogram’s design overlaps with ancient Chinese patterns. Louis Vuitton parent LVMH says the monogram was influenced by neo-gothic ornamentation and Japonism. Molly Tea, founded in 2021, said it plans to appeal, and its logo remained on its website as of Tuesday.