Vuitton, Facebook, Aldi, NeighborCity: Intellectual Property

Louis Vuitton, the French maker of laminated canvas handbags, was named the world’s most valuable luxury brand for a seventh consecutive year.

The brand, owned by Paris-based LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, is worth $25.9 billion, a 7 percent increase from 2011, according to Millward Brown Optimor’s 2012 BrandZ study published yesterday. Hermes, in which LVMH owns a stake, rose to second place with a value of $19.1 billion, up 61 percent from last year. Rolex, the closely held Swiss watch brand, was ranked third at $7.17 billion, a 36 percent gain.