Louis Vuitton’s Kenzo Unit Blocks EU Food, Wine Trademark

A food, wine, and liquor merchant won’t get to register “Kenzo Estate” as a trademark in Europe.

The Kenzo fashion house, a subsidiary of luxury brand giant LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, won its case before the Court of Justice of the European Union on May 30. The court rejected an appeal by Kenzo Tsujimoto of Osaka, Japan, to overturn the EU Intellectual Property Office’s refusal to register his trademark.

The court agreed that the wine and liquor trademark would “ride on the coat-tails” of the fashion brand’s reputation. LVMH acquired designer Kenzo Takada’s fashion brand in 1993.

Judges ...