Louis Vuitton Sues Fried Chicken Restaurant for Trademark Infringement
The Seoul restaurant’s name and logo bears a striking resemblance to Louis Vuitton’s. (Photo: Twitter)
Never in a million years would one expect to see Louis Vuitton mentioned in the same sentence as fried chicken — grease stains! Well, one South Korean restaurant was determined to meld the French fashion label and fried food together one way or another.
The Seoul eatery is called Louis Vuiton Dak, a play on the Korean word “tongdak,” which means “whole chicken.” The logo, arguably the most problematic aspect of the venture, bears a striking resemblance to the French fashion brand’s signature “LV” symbol. The chicken joint’s serviettes and take-out boxes feature this pattern.
To no surprise, Louis Vuitton, emblematic of class elegance for decades, wasn’t pleased to learn their brand was being associated with fatty food and in September last year, decided to send their South Korean friend a courtesy cease-and-desist letter.
Noted, the owner then went on to change his restaurant’s name to chaLouisvui tondak, claiming the new name was completely different. However, the Seoul district court disagreed and the restauranteur was fined $16,000 for not complying with the first order. “Although he changed the name with different spacing, the two names sounded almost the same,” the Korea Times quoted the judge as saying.
What the cluck.
