LUXURY goods maker Louis Vuitton was yesterday granted 200,000 yuan (US$25,641) in compensation by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court in a trademark lawsuit it had brought earlier against a local trading company and a manufacturer for the unauthorized use of the its iconic"LV"logo.

The lawsuit, which was filed in March, accused the two defendants of selling automobile skid pads carrying the famous trademark without authorization, which infringed the brand's intellectual property rights.

"This lawsuit is different from the previous ones that involved manufacturing or selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton luggage, bags and accessories,"said a court spokesperson surnamed Wang.

"The luxury brand hasn't registered any automobile utensil in its product categories, which gave delinquents loopholes to circumvent the law,"she said.

The French company asked the court to recognize it as a prestigious brand, which gave it full protection in all categories, registered patterns and labels. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

"Louis Vuitton has registered in China since January 1996, and enjoyed a high reputation among local consumers,"said the court's ruling.

The local manufacturer, surnamed Li, was ordered to stop making the products bearing the logo and pay 200,000 yuan in compensation.

All skid pads bearing the logo were seized by local authorities.

A spokesman for the French luxury brand said it had launched 6,000 anti-counterfeiting actions worldwide last year, suing over 13,000 manufacturers or retailers. About 1,000 people have been arrested.

Editor: Wing