A Chinese Court Has Ordered Molly Tea to Pay LVMH $1.5 Million. Here Is Why It Matters for Drinks.

A Chinese court has ordered Molly Tea, a Shenzhen-based milk tea chain, to pay 10.3 million yuan ($1.5 million) to Louis Vuitton Malletier for trademark infringement, in a ruling issued on 29 June 2026 that has generated significant public discussion in China about intellectual property enforcement. The case centred on Molly Tea’s use of a four-petal floral logo that the court found sufficiently similar to Louis Vuitton’s signature monogram to constitute infringement, despite the two businesses operating in different product categories. Molly Tea has confirmed it intends to appeal the ruling to a higher court.