Top Chinese university trademarks eagle logo after Armani comparison goes viral

Zhejiang University, one of China's top schools, has trademarked the eagle on its badge after netizens spotted its resemblance to the Armani logo and joked the school was racing to fend off the luxury brand.

The eagle on Zhejiang University's crest, nicknamed the "Qiushi Eagle," resembles the stylized bird on Italy's Emporio Armani label, China Business News reported.

The comparison went viral early this month after a court in Suzhou ordered Shenzhen-based tea chain Molly Tea to pay French luxury house Louis Vuitton 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5 million) for infringing seven of LV's registered four-petal flower trademarks, Global Times reported.

That ruling drew more than 400 million views on Weibo. Users hunting for other lookalike logos seized on Zhejiang University's badge, pushing the pairing to the top of Weibo's trending list on July 7.

The signage of the Emporio Armani boutique in Duesseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on July 30, 2025, displays the store, which offers luxury clothing, footwear, and accessories from the Giorgio Armani fashion house. Photo by AFP

The university filed its standalone eagle application on Dec. 17, 2025, more than six months before the Louis Vuitton verdict, according to Zhang Yifeng, a consultant at the Hangzhou Henghui Trademark Affairs Firm who handles the school's filings.

The registration notice reached the public in early July, colliding with the LV frenzy and creating the impression of a rushed defense, China Business News reported. Zhang said the filing had nothing to do with Armani.

Zhang said Zhejiang University had long held a trademark on its full composite badge but never on the eagle alone. It acted after spotting small firms stamping the bird on caps and tourist trinkets to imply a link to the school.

The new filing spans commercial classes including daily chemicals, office supplies, food, catering, and education.

The university was among the first in China to guard its name. In 2002 it registered 180 trademarks across all 45 categories for four marks, including the eagle figure, setting several national firsts, Zhang told China Business News.

Zhejiang's round badge sets its Chinese and English names around the eagle, with "1897" beneath, the year it dates its founding to Qiushi Academy. "Qiushi" means "seeking truth."

The eagle stands for enterprise and exploration and first appeared in the late 1920s. The current emblem was fixed in 1991.

Armani was founded in 1975, a gap that spawned a second online joke: on history, the school never loses.

Some users wrote that the university's law students could get real practice if it ever sued Armani. Others credited the school's foresight for sparing it "the milk tea company's path."

Zhang said a Chinese trademark takes 10 to 11 months from filing to certificate, and that some of the eagle certificates have already issued while others remain under review.