A Chinese bubble tea chain has been ordered to pay £1.1m to Louis Vuitton after a court ruled its logo copied the luxury brand's four-petal flower design – a decision that has divided China’s internet.
Molly Tea, a Shenzhen-based chain popular across China, was ordered by a court in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, to stop using the logo, issue a public apology and pay 10.3m yuan in damages, according to Chinese state media China Daily. The ruling, reported last week, found that the tea company had infringed Louis Vuitton’s iconic four-petal flower trademark.
“Chinese tea chain Molly Tea ordered to pay Louis Vuitton £1.1m for copying its four-petal flower logo, sparking online debate.”
The verdict has provoked fierce debate online. A hashtag linked to the case has drawn more than 400 million views and tens of thousands of comments on Chinese social media.
Many users defended Molly Tea. One Weibo commenter wrote that he would “drink a cup of Molly Tea daily” to show support. Another argued: “Give me a break. They’re just taking advantage of the fact that our ancestors didn’t file for patents.” A user on RedNote said: “Such basic geometric shapes have been used everywhere throughout history, not just China.”
But others backed the court. A Weibo user said those who support Molly Tea should “study law first”, noting that Louis Vuitton had already registered the logo. Another wrote that the luxury brand is “justified in defending its intellectual property” and that other brands have no right to imitate it, regardless of their industry.
China Daily reported that Molly Tea and its affiliated firms had applied for multiple trademarks that were rejected by the China National Intellectual Property Administration – only the trademark containing the Chinese characters for “Molly Tea” was successfully registered.
The BBC has contacted both Molly Tea and Louis Vuitton for comment. The case has now become a flashpoint in a wider debate about intellectual property, with some pointing out that many Western luxury brands have drawn inspiration from Chinese artefacts. For now, the tea chain must scrap its logo – or face the legal consequences of a billion-dollar brand’s protection.