The US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) has ruled in favor of Cubatabaco, the Cuban state tobacco company, in its ongoing legal battle with General Cigar Co over the Cohiba brand. The TTAB has cancelled General Cigar’s Cohiba trademark registration, allowing Cubatabaco to potentially sell the Cuban version of Cohiba cigars in the US.
However, General Cigar plans to appeal the ruling and will continue to sell its own version of Cohiba cigars in the US, which are distinguished by a red dot in the “O” of the logo. The company released a statement saying that Cubatabaco’s challenge to its ownership of the Cohiba trademark in the US “has no merit” and that the TTAB’s decision “will have no impact on General Cigar’s plans to manufacture, sell, market and enforce the Cohiba mark in the US.”
The legal battle between the two companies has been ongoing for 26 years, with both parties having previously won and lost in court. The fight over the Cohiba brand dates back to January 1997, when Cubatabaco first claimed that General Cigar’s use of the Cohiba trademark in the US infringed upon its own rights to the brand.
Cohiba is Cuba’s flagship cigar brand, known for its high price and global recognition. The brand was created in 1966 in Cuba, but was not commercialized until 1982. It has become a symbol of luxury and exclusivity, with its cigars often considered some of the finest in the world.
The TTAB’s latest ruling is a significant victory for Cubatabaco, which has long sought to protect its rights to the Cohiba brand and prevent other companies from profiting off of its reputation. It remains to be seen how the ruling will impact the sales of both Cuban and non-Cuban Cohiba cigars in the US, and whether the decision will be upheld on appeal.
