Chanel loses to Huawei in European court over logo dispute

Luxury brand Chanel has lost a legal fight with Chinese telecommunication company Huawei after a European Union (EU) General Court ruled that their logos have no similarities.

The feud began in 2017 when Chanel filed a lawsuit against the tech giant. Chanel’s logo features two inverted Cs overlapping and facing away from each other. It is regularly donned in their clothing, cosmetics, and overall aesthetic. Huawei’s logo features an H with rounded lines.

When inverted, the logos do somehow strike visual similarities, but 2019 and 2021 rulings have since opposed the trademark claims, saying that there’s no likelihood that the public will be confused by the two companies since the distinction is clear.

“The marks at issue share some similarities but their visual differences are significant,” the EU General Court shared in a press statement after Chanel attempted to reverse the European Union Intellectual Property Office’s 2019 decision.

“In particular, Chanel’s marks have more rounded curves, thicker lines and a horizontal orientation, whereas the orientation of the Huawei mark is vertical. Consequently, the General Court concludes that the marks are different.”