Ralph Lauren Secures Landmark Victory in Trademark Infringement Case

On December 13, Ralph Lauren announced a decisive legal win in a trademark infringement case heard at the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. The lawsuit targeted Shanghai Ruifa Apparel Co., Ltd., Qingyuan Huahao Zhibai Leather Goods and Apparel Co., Ltd., and other companies — all key licensees of Guangzhou Aichi Leather Co., Ltd.

The court determined that the defendants had unauthorizedly used Ralph Lauren's well-recognized trademarks, including " POLO ", " POLO BY RALPH LAUREN ", and " POLO RALPH LAUREN ". This misuse caused confusion among consumers and constituted trademark infringement.

In a ruling that awarded Ralph Lauren RMB 20 million (approximately USD 2.8 million) in damages — far surpassing China's statutory compensation cap — the decision stands as one of the largest payouts in Chinese trademark litigation history.

The judgment further orders the defendants to immediately cease all infringing activities, including the use of similar or identical trademarks, the sale of infringing products, and the display of such marks on store signage, interior decor, and packaging.

This case marks a significant milestone in Ralph Lauren's ongoing efforts to protect its brand in China. Over the past eight years, the company has launched numerous successful lawsuits against Aichi and its affiliates. The latest ruling strengthens Ralph Lauren's position in combating counterfeiters using the " POLO " name and reinforces its commitment to shielding consumers from misleading products.

Beyond the courtroom, Ralph Lauren has implemented proactive marketing and consumer education campaigns to bolster awareness of its authentic products.

The brand also leverages cutting-edge technology to fight counterfeiting. In 2019, Ralph Lauren introduced Digital Product ID technology, becoming the first global retail brand to widely adopt this system. In China, consumers can verify a product's authenticity and access detailed information by scanning the Digital Product ID on tags with their smartphones.