India, July 7 -- A Chinese court has ordered the popular tea chain Molly Tea to pay 10.3 million yuan (about $1.5 million) in damages to Louis Vuitton, ruling that the company's logo infringed the luxury brand's trademark.
The decision has also stirred a broader online debate about intellectual property protections in China. The court in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, found that the Shenzhen-based tea chain copied Louis Vuitton's signature four-petal flower design. Along with the damages, Molly Tea was ordered to stop using the logo and to publish a public apology.
Chinese state media also reported that several trademark applications filed by Molly Tea and its affiliated companies were rejected, and that only the trademark containing the compa...