U.S. Appeals Court Denies Cuba's Cohiba Case

David Savona
Posted: June 10, 2005

A ruling this week could send the case for Cohiba all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

On June 6, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order denying Cubatabaco's motion to rehear its case. Cubatabaco, the owner of Cuba's cigar brands, was appealing the court's ruling that gave the U.S. rights to Cohiba to General Cigar Co. in February. Cubatabaco has until August 30 to file a further appeal, and its next step is to petition the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The court's unanimous opinion in General Cigar's favor was thorough, well-reasoned and conclusive. We feel confident that the Supreme Court will agree," said General's lawyer, Nick Simeonidis. Michael Krinsky, a New York attorney representing Cubatabaco, said, "The Supreme Court will decide what it wants to do."

General Cigar, a unit of Swedish Match AB, makes the "red dot" Cohiba in the Dominican Republic.

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