Taiwan’s IP Office Cancelled Trademark After Finding It Confusingly Similar to Louis Vuitton’s Iconic “LV” Logos

On September 25, 2025, Taiwan’s IP Office (“TIPO”) ruled in favor of fashion giant Louis Vuitton in its opposition against trademark no. 02433263, cancelling the contested trademark after finding it confusingly similar to Louis Vuitton’s iconic logos “LV” (no. 00394749 and no. 00827212, see below).

The contested trademark (see below) was filed by En Wai Trading Ltd., a company based in China, on July 12, 2024, and granted on February 1, 2025. The contested trademark was designated for use in goods in Class 25, including clothing, belts, hats, sportswear, underwear, children’s clothing, etc. Louis Vuitton filed an opposition on April 30, 2025, alleging that the registration of the contested trademark violated Articles 30.1.10, and 30.1.11 of Trademark Act.

TIPO ruled in Louis Vuitton’s favor based on Article 30.1.10, finding that:

1.    The contested trademark consisted of a large letter “L” and a smaller letter “V”, with embedded patterns resembling plant branches. When viewed as a whole, ordinary consumers would still recognize that the mark contained the same letters as Louis Vuitton’s “LV” icons. Thus, the contested trademark was visually and verbally similar to Louis Vuitton’s trademarks.

2.    Further, Louis Vuitton’s trademarks were also designated for use in clothing and related accessories, such as dresses, shirts, hats, clothing, underwear, suits, sweaters, vests, girdles, corsets, etc. These products serve similar functions and overlap with the product category covered by the contested trademark.

3.    Furthermore, based on extensive evidence of trademark use from 2015 to 2025, including media coverages, webpages, and the expansion of physical stores, Louis Vuitton’s “LV” logos have established strong brand recognition among the relevant consumers. By contrast, there was no evidence showing consumer’s recognition of the contested trademark. Hence, consumers are more likely to associate the “LV” letters with Louis Vuitton.

In view of the similarity between the trademarks, the strong brand recognition of “LV”, and the overlap in the designated products, TIPO concluded that the registration of the contested trademark was likely to cause confusion. Accordingly, the contested trademark was cancelled.

 

Source: https://cloud.tipo.gov.tw/S282/S282WV1/#/written-result-details/disposition?issueKey=doNRI%2BOlAcwSoPuEbyzG56TxXueifAp0vCAC