Louis Vuitton Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Jasmine Milk Tea
The Suzhou Intermediate People's Court ruled in the first instance that the Jasmine Milk Tea chain infringed on Louis Vuitton's exclusive rights to seven registered trademarks featuring the four-leaf flower design, ordering compensation of 10.3 million RMB.
The court found that the Jasmine Milk Tea's four-petal flower logo is highly similar in outline, symmetry, and central structure to the LV trademark, and that the company used this design extensively across over 2,400 stores.
Jasmine Milk Tea's multiple applications for trademarks containing the four-leaf flower design have been rejected or deemed invalid, yet they continued to use it. The court ordered them to cease infringement, publicly apologize, and pay legal fees. The brand has stated it will appeal.
Source: Public Information
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Louis Vuitton has long protected its Monogram and floral graphic trademarks through global litigation, previously defending against imitators across various industries. This case continues its strategy of cross-category protection, extending trademark influence into non-fashion sectors.
Jasmine Milk Tea, as a rapidly expanding tea chain, leveraged visual symbols to enhance brand recognition and accelerate store replication and consumer memory, focusing on low-cost design strategies. However, it was judged to have acted with clear subjective malice, as it continued large-scale use despite knowing its trademark applications had failed.
Similar cases include LV's previous lawsuits against other fast-moving consumer brands for pattern infringement, as well as disputes between luxury goods and the food and beverage industry. In this case, the tea brand is transitioning from regional expansion to national chain status but faces obstacles due to intellectual property clashes.
Essentially, this reflects capital concentration: well-known trademark holders reinforce cross-industry pricing power and exclusivity through the courts. The mechanism involves the statutory monopoly of registered trademarks combined with consumer associations, transforming cultural patterns into exclusive commercial barriers, forcing newcomers to incur high costs or reconstruct brand visuals.
ABAB News · Law of Cognition
Register first, win later; leverage visuals, pay tuition first.
Cultural symbols can be used by anyone, but trademark protection only recognizes registrants.
Strong brands sell monopoly rights, weak brands sell imitation quickly, and ultimately, the latter pays the price.