Louis Vuitton v. Molly Tea: Chinese Court Rules on Trademark Infringement in the Beverage Sector Go back »

2026-07-20 | All chapters

Louis Vuitton v. Molly Tea: Chinese Court Rules on Trademark Infringement in the Beverage Sector

When the century‑old floral monogram of a French luxury giant meets the rapid expansion of a Chinese new‑style tea brand, the boundaries of trademark protection and the standard for cross‑category confusion become the core issues in this multi‑million-dollar dispute. On July 2, 2026, the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court issued a first-instance judgment ordering Shenzhen Molly Tea Catering Management Co., Ltd. to pay Louis Vuitton Malletier RMB 10.3 million in damages for trademark infringement. The court found that Molly Tea’s four-petal floral device infringed seven of Louis Vuitton’s registered trademarks in China. The judgment also requires Molly Tea to post corrective statements across its principal social media accounts and to cease the infringing activities. The company has publicly stated its intention to appeal.

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Source: D'Andrea & Partners