Sunday, June 18 2006
June 19, 2006 - New York, NY - General Cigar Co., Inc. announced today that the Supreme Court has denied
Cubatabaco's petition for review in the dispute over ownership of the COHIBA® trademark in the United States.
As a result of the Supreme Court's ruling, the February 2005 decision of a United States Circuit Court of Appeals, which confirmed General Cigar's exclusive ownership of the COHIBA® mark in the United States, is final and is law of the
case.
Gerry Roerty, vice president and general counsel of General Cigar, commented, "Today's ruling affirms what we have believed all along: That Cubatabaco had no standing to challenge General Cigars ownership of the COHIBA® mark in the United States. Now that the Supreme Court has confirmed that General Cigar is the only legitimate owner of the Cohiba brand in the United States, we will enhance our ongoing nationwide initiatives against manufacturers, distributors and retailers of counterfeit COHIBA® cigars."
General Cigar received its first registration of the COHIBA® trademark in the United States in 1981, and obtained an updated registration in 1995. The company has been selling its Dominican COHIBA® cigar in the United States for more than two decades.
Cubatabaco filed the lawsuit in 1997 against General Cigar, claiming rights to the COHIBA® name in the United States under U.S. law and international treaties, although Cubatabaco had failed to take any legal action against General Cigar for nearly 20 years.
The COHIBA® line of premium cigars is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic and is a favorite among cigar connoisseurs. In addition to the COHIBA® hallmark line, General Cigar manufactures and markets COHIBA XV which was introduced in 2001.
