HONG KONG (AP) — A court ruling requiring a Chinese tea company to pay French luxury brand Louis Vuitton $1.5 million has set off a broader conversation about who truly owns traditional Chinese symbols and designs.
The controversy centers on a four-petal flower shape that appears in Louis Vuitton’s 130-year-old signature monogram. Chinese state media outlets and online commentators are now raising questions about whether that design was originally drawn from patterns that trace back to ancient China — and whether the company is effectively “monopolizing” those traditional motifs.
A court in Suzhou, a city in eastern China, recently sided with Louis Vuitton, finding that the logo used by Molly Tea — a chain known for jasmine and other floral-based drinks — was too similar to the French brand’s trademarked monogram. The court directed Molly Tea to pay 10.3 million yuan, equivalent to roughly $1.5 million, to Louis Vuitton. Local media reports carried copies or details of what they described as the official ruling.
Legal battles between international and Chinese brands over intellectual property are not unusual. Western companies, including American sneaker maker New Balance, have previously taken Chinese businesses to court over trademark and intellectual property disputes — and have sometimes won.
The Suzhou ruling quickly became a trending topic across Chinese social media platforms.
On Tuesday, the state-owned Beijing Daily posted a commentary on Weibo, a widely used Chinese social platform, suggesting the decision highlighted a failure to protect ancient Chinese heritage. “Why did a Chinese enterprise end up paying more than 10 million yuan in damages to a French company for using a design that resonated with the spirit of China’s centuries-old patterns?” the post read.
The Global Times, a state-run English-language publication, ran a headline stating: “Chinese netizens accuse LV of attempting to monopolize ancient motifs after lawsuit against tea brand.” The article described what it called “widespread frustration” among Chinese internet users who believe a foreign company now holds trademark rights over a design rooted in Chinese cultural history.
To illustrate the argument, the article included a photo comparing patterns found on a Tang Dynasty rosewood “pipa” — a type of traditional Chinese lute — placed side by side with Louis Vuitton’s monogram design.
Louis Vuitton is currently marking the 130th anniversary of its monogram, which was originally created in 1896. The brand has described it as a “universal symbol of creativity.” According to the website of its parent company LVMH, the monogram drew inspiration from neo-gothic ornamentation and the artistic movement known as Japonism.
Neither LVMH nor Molly Tea responded to requests for comment. As of Tuesday, Molly Tea — which was founded in 2021 — was still displaying the four-petal flower logo on its official website. The company has told local media that it intends to appeal the ruling.
