Bacardi Says Granting Cuba Rights To ‘Havana Club’ Name Is Illegal

Bacardi Says Granting Cuba Rights To 'Havana Club' Name Is Illegal /
14ymedio
Posted on February 4, 2016

The legal battle over the rights to market Havana Club rum ended last
month, in Cuba's favor, after two decades of dispute. (Havana Club)

14ymedio (with information from agencies), Havana, 1 February 2016 — The
Bacardi company has asked for explanations from the United States
government regarding the authorization to sell Havana Club rum in the
country once the embargo is lifted, claiming that this January's
granting of the trademark rights to the Cuban government is "illegal."

The company, based in Bermuda, directed a request with regards to the
renewal of the trademark to the Treasury Department, and in a statement
on Monday, accused it of violating "the language and spirit of US law."

Eduardo Sanchez, Bacardi's legal advisor, said "Americans deserve to
know the truth of this sudden and unprecedented decision taken by
Washington that reversed an international policy that protects against
the acceptance of confiscations by foreign governments."

The legal battle over the rights to market Havana Club rum came to an
end last month after two decades of disputes, when the Patent and
Trademark Office ruled that the Cuban state company Cubaexport is the
lawful distributor of the iconic rum.

In 2006, Cubaexport tried to obtain a license from the Treasury
Department's Office of Control of Foreign Assets (OFAC) to pay $500 to
renew the Havana Club trademark, but it failed to do so and its
registration was declared invalid. The Cuban company had not given up
and re-initiated its request earlier this year and was successful.

Source: Bacardi Says Granting Cuba Rights To 'Havana Club' Name Is
Illegal / 14ymedio | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/bacardi-says-granting-cuba-rights-to-havana-club-name-is-illegal-14ymedio/