Chinese state media question four-petal flower design origins
A court in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou has ordered Molly Tea, a local chain whose signature drinks are based on jasmine and other floral-based teas, to pay 10.3 million yuan ($1.5 million) to French luxury house Louis Vuitton after finding its logo infringed on the company’s trademark monogram, according to local media reports that carried copies or details of the ruling.
The ruling has prompted a debate among Chinese state media and online commentators who question whether the four-petal flower design used in Louis Vuitton’s 130-year-old signature monogram is derived from patterns dating back to ancient China. Some have accused the company of “monopolizing” traditional Chinese patterns.