U.S. Supreme Court hands victory to Cuban cigar company

U.S. Supreme Court hands victory to Cuban cigar company
Reuters • February 24, 2015

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court handed a victory to a state-owned Cuban cigar company on Monday by declining to intervene in its long-running battle with a U.S.-based rival over the Cohiba trademark that both use for their products.

By refusing to hear an appeal filed by Delaware-based General Cigar Co Inc, the high court left intact a ruling in favor of the Cuban company,Cubatabaco.

Due to the long-running U.S. trade embargo with Cuba, the Cuban company cannot sell its Cohiba cigars in the United States, but it does sell them inCuba and elsewhere. General Cigar sells Dominican Republic-produced Cohiba cigars in the United States.

General Cigar is owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S, which is partly owned by Swedish Match AB..

The legal dispute is over whether the Cuban company has the right to challenge General Cigar’s trademarks in the United States despite the embargo.

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