In a landmark legal ruling in June 2026, the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court in China found Molly Tea, a rapidly expanding milk tea brand, guilty of infringing Louis Vuitton’s iconic four-petal flower trademark. The court ordered Molly Tea to pay damages totaling 10.3 million yuan (about US$1.5 million) and to immediately cease using the disputed logo.
Molly Tea, founded in Shenzhen in 2021, has grown quickly to over 2,000 outlets globally, including locations in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Thailand. Known for its floral milk teas and a marketing approach focused on traditional and cultural imagery, Molly Tea’s logo — a four-petal flower — became the center of the legal dispute. Louis Vuitton argued that Molly Tea’s quatrefoil-like logo, used on store signage, packaging, and promotions, was confusingly similar to its own luxury brand monogram, potentially misleading consumers.
The court’s verdict has ignited a heated debate about cultural ownership and intellectual property rights. Critics of the ruling point out that the quatrefoil design has deep historical roots in Chinese culture dating back to the Tang dynasty, challenging the idea that such a motif can be exclusively claimed by a private luxury brand like Louis Vuitton.
Despite the ruling, Molly Tea has expressed its intention to appeal, and as of now, the four-petal logo continues to appear on its products and storefronts. This case highlights the ongoing tensions between global brand protections and cultural heritage, and it signals potential complexities for intellectual property law as international brands and local companies increasingly collide over traditional designs.
The controversy also reportedly impacted Louis Vuitton’s sales in China, underscoring the delicate balance brands must navigate between protecting their trademarks and engaging with culturally significant symbols in diverse markets.
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