A small Portuguese liqueur producer has won a legal battle against luxury fashion giant Louis Vuitton over the use of the initials “LV”.
Louis Vuitton argued the branding copied its famous logo, but the court ruled in favour of Licores do Vale, based in the northern town of Monção.
The dispute over the “LV” initials had lasted for more than a year. Following the ruling, Licores do Vale thanked supporters in a social media post and said the initials “belong to everyone”.
“The last few months have been intense,” the company wrote.
Louis Vuitton challenged the registration of the “LV – Licores do Vale” trademark after Portuguese authorities initially approved it. Their appeal in court temporarily prevented the liquor brand from being registered.
The French fashion house argued that the two letters were arranged in a way that too closely resembled its own logo.
According to court documents cited by Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias, Louis Vuitton claimed the Portuguese company was attempting to benefit unfairly from the reputation of its brand. The French company also described the logo as “almost identical” on a “verbal, phonetic and conceptual” level.
LVMH, the owner of luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The logo was created by André Ferreira and his girlfriend, Tânia Afonso, who sell liqueurs, jams, honey and biscuits at local agricultural fairs.
The couple said they never expected their hobby business to become involved in a legal dispute with one of the world’s biggest luxury brands.
The ruling clears the way for the company to launch its products more widely.