SHANGHAI, July 19 Reuters Manolo Blahnik, the shoe brand made famous by its celebrity fans and regular appearances in TV drama Sex and the City, said on Tuesday it has won a legal battle in China to use its own name, paving the way for the brand39;s expansion across the country.

The company, named after its Spanish founder, said in a statement that the judgement was handed down by the Supreme Peoples Court of China last month, marking the culmination of a longrunning legal battle.

Manolo Blahnik has taken numerous actions against Chinese businessman Fang Yuzhou since 2000 to dispute the validity of trademarks Fang has filed related to the Manolo Blahnik name.

This is a meaningful victory for my uncle, our family and our team and I want to express gratitude to the Supreme People39;s Court of China for its thorough and careful consideration of our longstanding case, Chief Executive Kristina Blahnik, the niece of founder Manolo Blahnik, said.

Reuters was unable to reach Fang for comment.

While the Manolo Blahnik brand has been wellknown internationally since the 1970s, China has different intellectual property IP restrictions compared to countries such as the United States, which require companies to prove prior use or intent to use a trademark before it can be registered.

China is a first to file jurisdiction, which meant Fang39;s claim to the name as the first person to trademark it in the China market in 1999 was long found to be stronger under Chinese law….