The counterfeit panel consisted of Edgar Cullman Jr., Jorge Padrón, Carlos Fuente Jr. and Theo Folz; co-moderator Brightman is at far right.

"Counterfeiting cheats you -- the customer," said Edgar Cullman Jr., president and chief executive officer of General Cigar Holdings Inc. at the seminar on counterfeit cigars. This was, perhaps, the most serious topic of the weekend.

Joining Cullman on the dais were Jorge Padrón, president of Padrón Cigars Inc., Carlos Fuente Jr., president of Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., and Theo Folz, president and chief executive officer of Altadis U.S.A. The discussion was moderated by Cigar Aficionado's Gordon Mott and George Brightman.

The panelists had one thing in common: each has seen his cigar brand counterfeited: Cullman has seen fake Partagas 150 cigars, Padrón fake Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series and Fuente fake Fuente Fuente OpusXs. Folz, who has aggressively pursued counterfeiters in the courts, has been victimized by fake Montecristos.

Mott and Brightman showed Cigar Aficionado Online's Counterfeit Gallery to the audience by use of a pair of large monitors. Scrolling through the considerable collection of fake bands and a section on fake packaging, they encouraged readers to familiarize themselves on how to spot a fake.

The problem is considerable. "I'm aware of at least 60 different printings of fake Fuente Fuente OpusX bands," said Fuente, who said the profit margin was too great and the penalties too modest to deter thieves. "They buy cigars for 50 cents and sell them for $50."

A photo from the Cigar Aficionado Online Counterfeit Gallery, which was displayed at the seminar. The cigar on the left is a fake.

"The risks are great," said Padrón, explaining how a loyal consumer can be lost if he unwittingly buys a counterfeit cigar. "All it takes is a few bad cigars to break that loyalty. In counterfeiting, only the counterfeiter benefits."

Folz said he and other cigar company executives have been troubled by new tactics of counterfeiters, who are shipping unbanded, or naked, cigars into the United States then banding them with fake bands, to avoid being stopped by U.S. Customs agents.

"I agree 110 percent that the No. 1 victim is the consumer," said Folz, "but the No. 2 victim is the manufacturer. One of the best lines of defense is who you're buying your cigars from."

Folz suggested that consumers avoid a retailer that sells any counterfeit cigars, and even used a competitor's product as the ultimate example. "If you go into any retail shop that is selling Cohibas with the Cuban trade dress [the white, black and gold band], it's either Cuban or, more likely, it's a counterfeit."

The eye-opening seminar led to several questions from the audience, as well as a suggestion to the editors of Cigar Aficionado Online that they add a means by which to allow consumers to alert cigar companies about retailers who sell fakes. Marvin R. Shanken promised that such a feature would soon be added.