General Cigar prevails over Cubatabaco in Cohiba trademark dispute

[CaptainQuintero]

The embargo may in fact be one of the major reasons that Tabacuba still exists... Americans may never get Cuban puros even if the embargo is lifted. It might turn out that in order to do business in the US, the Cubans may have to jump through too many hoops. With the Asian market developing, it might not be worth while to sell cigars in the US at all!!! The US may see blended cigars, perhaps none at all.

The biggest fight for us my friends is not for Cuban tobacco, but for our rights to smoke at all. Oppressive government oversight and legislation is not only the enemy of the smoker, but to all that enjoy freedom. It is your own nanny state government that is going to kill your right to smoke. You want to get pissed off over something, get pissed off over some imperial minded polly, telling you what to do with your life, not Tabacubas.

Cheers! -Piggy

Very much agreed here!

I think something that gets overlooked is the power of the Asian consumer markets for tobacco. Everyone was surprised when the cigarette companies seemingly packed up and happily took all the plain packaging/anti-smoking laws in the West but for them it's a secondary market now, They have over a billion Chinese who love cigarettes and a billion Indians to sell to, why should they care about the last of the dying breed in Europe/US and spend billions fighting our nanny states?

[darkleeroy]

If the US can generate tax revenue off it, they'll more than likely let it in once the embargo is lifted.

Granted, it's estimated that US consumption of Cuban cigars is in the 20-50 million cigar range with the embargo in place.

[sw15825]

This is why I

This is the way that patent and trademark laws work amigos, there is not much use in getting upset about it! It is not about the quality of the cigars, I am afraid it is about the laws that govern these cases.

My father was responsible for approximate 100 patents over his life. Frankly, if he was not so far ahead of his time, one cent on each of his designs or inventions would have likely made my family the one of richest on the earth... That's the breaks, we got over it long ago. Most of these patents were expired long before I was born. Today, licensing interests on his patents would be worth billions! The market waits for no one and crying over it does no good. For the consumer it is certainly not a reason to cry, but to celebrate! It is the reason that I can buy my once very expensive heart medication for pennies in the generic market. It is the reason that consumers don't pay billions or trillions in licensing for each of the products that they buy, causing these products to be priced out of the range affordability for all but the rich.

Tabacuba did not take the necessary steps to protect its rights, if it in fact had any standing, which I cannot speculate. When you snooze, you lose! Sorry Dad! Sorry Tabacuba!

Wait and see what actions are taken agains Tabacuba when it comes to monopoly laws in America! I did not read this ruling... perhaps that was even a part of it. It might very well turn out that in order for Cuban tobacco to be sold in the US, Tabacuba must allow purchases of tobacco from the island by other companies in order to do so! I am guessing that his will be bigger than any trademark issue.

I don't really have an opinion about the ruling itself, as I said I did not read it... Frankly, I don't really care. Yeah, taking the Cohiba name... it is cheesy, but welcome to the world of business Tabacuba! If it were not for your monopoly on the worlds best tobacco, you guys would have been out maneuvered and put out of business by your own hand long ago!

The embargo may in fact be one of the major reasons that Tabacuba still exists... Americans may never get Cuban puros even if the embargo is lifted. It might turn out that in order to do business in the US, the Cubans may have to jump through too many hoops. With the Asian market developing, it might not be worth while to sell cigars in the US at all!!! The US may see blended cigars, perhaps none at all.

The biggest fight for us my friends is not for Cuban tobacco, but for our rights to smoke at all. Oppressive government oversight and legislation is not only the enemy of the smoker, but to all that enjoy freedom. It is your own nanny state government that is going to kill your right to smoke. You want to get pissed off over something, get pissed off over some imperial minded polly, telling you what to do with your life, not Tabacubas.

Cheers! -Piggy

This is why I hope it stays the way it is now. We can just fight for our rights to smoke!!