LV Turns Around and Sues China's Trademark Office — Hearing July 16, Days After $1.4M Molly Tea Win
TL;DR
Louis Vuitton sues China's trademark office CNIPA; hearing July 16 in Beijing IP Court, days after $1.4M win vs. Molly Tea.
Beijing IP Court will publicly hear a Louis Vuitton Malletier vs. CNIPA trademark administrative dispute at 9:30 AM on July 16, 2026. Case number (2026) Jing 73 Xing Chu 4727, with Huang Minyao as third party, in Courtroom 15.
The defendant is the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) — China's trademark registration authority. The public notice hasn't disclosed the trademark or specific dispute, but the "trademark administrative dispute" case type directly implies: LV disagrees with a CNIPA administrative ruling — likely a trademark rejection or invalidation declaration — and is pursuing judicial review.
This is a direct sequel to the Molly Tea case. On June 29, the Suzhou Intermediate Court ruled that Molly Tea infringed seven of LV's registered trademarks, ordering RMB 10.3 million in damages (including RMB 300k in enforcement costs). Same plaintiff — Louis Vuitton Malletier. Same Monogram flower trademarks. #LV cannot sue for trademark infringement based on Chinese classical patterns# hit 33 million views on Weibo, with state media pushing back on whether that "four-petal flower" is really 130-year-old LV original design.
LV clearly isn't backing down. 1,691 trademark lawsuits filed in China over the past five years, 50+ enforcement notices already in the first seven months of 2026, hearings scheduled through August — the most aggressive luxury-brand trademark enforcement pace by any global brand in China.
If it works, LV uses the judicial system to extend trademark boundaries from luxury into F&B and everyday goods; RMB 10.3 million is just the entry ticket. If it doesn't, LV runs headlong into the "four-petal flower is a Chinese classical motif" backlash — the brand premium lost in one lawsuit is more expensive than the RMB 10.3 million paid out.
via Sina News / Asia IP Law
The defendant is the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) — China's trademark registration authority. The public notice hasn't disclosed the trademark or specific dispute, but the "trademark administrative dispute" case type directly implies: LV disagrees with a CNIPA administrative ruling — likely a trademark rejection or invalidation declaration — and is pursuing judicial review.
This is a direct sequel to the Molly Tea case. On June 29, the Suzhou Intermediate Court ruled that Molly Tea infringed seven of LV's registered trademarks, ordering RMB 10.3 million in damages (including RMB 300k in enforcement costs). Same plaintiff — Louis Vuitton Malletier. Same Monogram flower trademarks. #LV cannot sue for trademark infringement based on Chinese classical patterns# hit 33 million views on Weibo, with state media pushing back on whether that "four-petal flower" is really 130-year-old LV original design.
LV clearly isn't backing down. 1,691 trademark lawsuits filed in China over the past five years, 50+ enforcement notices already in the first seven months of 2026, hearings scheduled through August — the most aggressive luxury-brand trademark enforcement pace by any global brand in China.
If it works, LV uses the judicial system to extend trademark boundaries from luxury into F&B and everyday goods; RMB 10.3 million is just the entry ticket. If it doesn't, LV runs headlong into the "four-petal flower is a Chinese classical motif" backlash — the brand premium lost in one lawsuit is more expensive than the RMB 10.3 million paid out.
via Sina News / Asia IP Law
