Manolo Blahnik wins lengthy China trademark battle

Luxury shoemaker Manolo Blahnik has won a 22-year legal battle over a trademark in China.

It started in 1999 when a firm calling itself Manolo & Blahnik had the name approved by Chinese authorities. So the British company, named for its founder and creative director, filed suit.

Part of the problem, however, was that the Chinese system favors a first-come, first-served principle in registering trademarks.

But the case has now been resolved by the Supreme People's Court of China.

"We are humbled and grateful for the support we have received in China and internationally, both from within the fashion industry and beyond," Spanish designer Blahnik said.

His creations are known the world over, especially after one of his luxury accessories featured in hit television series Sex and the City.

The legal battle had, however, meant Manolo Blahnik was out of the Chinese market for two decades.

Several Western groups have experienced similar problems, discovering that when they tried to operate in China a local firm had already set up with a similar name.

In 2016 basketball great Michael Jordan won part of his trademark suit against a China sportswear firm following a years-long struggle for control over the rights to his Chinese name.

The rival had used a Chinese rendering of his name familiar with the country's consumers.