Ruling in a three-decade dispute over the right to trademark the famed Cohiba brand of cigars, a federal court in Virginia has decided Cuba’s state-owned tobacco company properly sought cancellation of a U.S. company’s claim to the name.
A ruling issued Wednesday by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia determined Empresa Cubano del Tabaco and General Cigar Company were bound by terms of the Inter-American Convention, which recognizes trademarks registered in member nations. It also found the U.S. embargo against Cuba does not bar the Cuban company from seeking cancellation of General Cigar’s mark.