Manolo Blahnik Wins Right to Use Own Name in China

Following a lengthy legal battle, the UK-based luxury brand Manolo Blahnik has won the right to use its name in China. After a local businessman trademarked its name, the high-end shoemaker has not operated in China for more than 20 years.

Fang Yuzhou registered the "Manolo & Blahnik" trademark and appeared to sell shoes under the brand. Celebrity clients and appearances in the hugely popular TV series Sex and the City helped make Manolo Blahnik's signature stilettos famous.

The company, named after its Spanish founder Manolo Blahnik, announced on Tuesday that it had won its case at the Supreme People's Court of China, the country's highest court. Since 2000, Manolo Blahnik has made several unsuccessful attempts to use its name in China, one of the world's largest consumer markets.

The company's CEO, Kristina Blahnik, who is Mr. Blahnik's niece, called the ruling "a significant victory for my uncle, our family, and our team." According to Ms. Blahnik, the brand intends to begin selling its shoes in China next year.

"We're not going to race into China with a rocket," she explained. Because China has "first to file" trademark rules, Mr. Fang's claim to the name in 1999 was long thought to be stronger than Manolo Blahnik's, which was made later under Chinese law.