Louis Vuitton v bubble tea: The minefields in China’s luxury market
The French company may have won a lawsuit, but it risks alienating Chinese consumers over perceived cultural appropriation.
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Chinese bubble tea chain Molly Tea lost a trademark battle with French luxury brand Louis Vuitton over its floral-shaped logo.
PHOTO : ST FILE
Juliana Liu
Louis Vuitton, the flagship brand of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has one of the most recognisable and widely copied logos in the world. So, it’s no surprise the company took legal action against a bubble-tea chain in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou to settle a trademark case.
News last week that a court ruled in favour of the leather goods maker spread rapidly. But winning the case has proved to be a pyrrhic victory, sparking a backlash rather than reinforcing the brand’s image.