Louis Vuitton sues Portuguese liqueur maker over logo rights

French luxury giant Louis Vuitton has launched an intellectual property lawsuit against a small Portuguese liqueur producer, claiming its logo is too similar to the iconic LV monogram.

The Portuguese liqueur producer Licores do Vale for allegedly using a logo that closely resembles its own. The action, brought before the Intellectual Property Court, challenges the registration of the Portuguese brand by the National Institute of Industrial Property. Louis Vuitton claims that the use of an “LV” (with an inverted V) on the labels and in brand communications is “an almost total reproduction” of its mark at “verbal, phonetic and conceptual” levels.

According to the lawsuit, quoted by Jornal de Notícias, Louis Vuitton accuses Licores do Vale of “parasitically exploiting the prestige of a third party’s brand,” and creating “unfair competition” with an “identical or similar” symbol. The French luxury house also notes that it has registered products in the same category, reinforcing the alleged similarities.

Licores do Vale responds

Licores do Vale producer André Ferreira told Jornal de Notícias that he developed the logo with his girlfriend to promote the product at small agricultural fairs in the region. “The L is for liqueurs and the V is for valley, it was turned upside down to symbolise the mountains surrounding the parish [of Longos Vales] and the little leaves represent nature,” he said.

Ferreira, a metrology technician who is just starting in artisanal production, said he was “surprised” by the lawsuit, emphasizing that the products are not yet on sale. “This is a hobby. We've only just begun and started straight away with this entry. The Louis Vuitton logo and the Licores do Vale logo have nothing to do with each other,” he said.

Legal and social media impact

Ferreira applied to register the trademark in August 2024, which was granted in January 2025. Louis Vuitton had prioritized international trademark registrations at the time, with no consequences for the small Portuguese producer, whose application was accepted. However, the legal appeal by Louis Vuitton has now put that registration on hold, leaving Licores do Vale in a state of limbo.

On social media, particularly Instagram, many users have shown support for the small Portuguese producer, encouraging him to continue his business and even capitalize on the media coverage generated by the case. Licores do Vale has just over 1,000 followers on Instagram, while Louis Vuitton, with 170 years of history, boasts more than 55 million.

For more information, visit Louis Vuitton, Licores do Vale, or the National Institute of Industrial Property.