Loss for General Cigars / Cohiba

[AlohaStyle]

A Federal Judge once again awarded the Cuban Cohiba a victory against General Cigars for the use of the Cohiba name in the US. Of course this is pending appeal, but this is a big decision!

I wonder if this will eventually affect Pete Johnson and others using Cuban brand names... I'm all for Pete using more obscure cuban names, but I hate General and Altadis using the big names like Cohiba, Montecristo etc...

http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/12/16/Cuban_Company_Wins_Ruling_on_Cohiba_Cigars.htm


Here's the jist:
"U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet barred General Cigar from using the Cohiba name in the United States, but allowed it to keep using the name on its Dominican-made cigars, pending appeal."

 

[Asher]

Altadis uses the names legally, since their corporate parent has a 50% stake in Habanos SA. Some of the other brands -- Partagas, for example -- were taken by the Cuban government, and their rightful owners fled Cuba and re-established their brand elsewhere. But General's Cohiba brand was an outright theft.

 

[Hendy]

I believe Pete has purchased the names he has from the original owners.

 

[AlohaStyle]

I believe Pete has purchased the names he has from the original owners.

That's cool if he did. I knew he worked hard and paid to get the names, but I just thought he meant he went through the copyright process in the states, not buying from the original owners. I had no idea, that's just what I thought.