Italian fashion house Gucci is suing two Chinese companies, claiming they infringed its trademark, a Beijing court spokesman said yesterday.

Guccio Gucci S.P.A. was suing Shanghai Basto Shoes Co Ltd. And the Beijing Hualian Hypermarket Co Ltd. at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, the spokesman said.

Gucci is demanding the two defendants immediately stop manufacturing and selling ladies shoes carrying logo very similar to that of Gucci -- a registered trademark featuring an interlocking "GG" pattern.

The Italian company was also seeking compensation totaling 500,000 yuan (US$66,666) from the two Chinese firms, he said.

Gucci said it found the ladies shoes being sold at a Hualian outlet in January and an agent bought a pair for evidence preservation, which had been notarized.

Gucci argued that Shanghai Basto had "apparent subjective malice" in infringing on the exclusive rights owned by Gucci, while Beijing Hualian also constituted trademark infringement in selling the shoes.

Gucci said it had also found the Senda Group Co Ltd. in east China's Jiangsu Province, the parent company of Shanghai Basto, had used the interlocking "GG" logo exactly the same as that of Gucci, but the company did not sue the Jiangsu company, but no reason was given.

The Beijing court will try the case later, but the spokesman would not give a date.