Spanish supreme court to review Havana club dispute

Spanish supreme court to review Havana club dispute

Bacardi has announced that the Supreme Court of Spain has decided to
hear its appeal in the case involving trademark rights to the Havana
Club rum brand

Bacardi released the following statement today (July 22)

"Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the
world, today announced the Supreme Court of Spain has decided to hear
its appeal in the case involving trademark rights to the Havana Club rum
brand. The decision by the Spanish Supreme Court is a critically
important and successful step in the case, as the court is highly
selective in what cases it reviews.

Bacardi, Jose Arechabala, S.A. and members of the Arechabala family sued
Havana Club Holding, Havana Rum and Liquors, S.A., Cubaexport, and the
Republic of Cuba in 1999 in Madrid's Court of 1st Instance No. 54 to
invalidate the Cuban entities' transfer of the registration of the
Havana Club trademark in Spain from Jose Arechabala, S.A.

Bacardi owns the rights to the Havana Club rum brand, having purchased
the trademark from the original legal owners, creators and proprietors
of the brand. The Arechabala family created Havana Club rum in 1935 in
Cuba and subsequently sold their rum in Spain and other countries. In
1959, the Arechabala's Havana Club brand and other assets were
confiscated by the Cuban government without compensation. In the early
1990s, Cuba signed an agreement with French-based Pernod Ricard to
exploit the confiscated brand globally through a joint-venture called
Havana Club Holding.

Bacardi looks forward to full review by the Spanish Supreme Court."

Spanish supreme court to review Havana club dispute - Drinks
International - The global choice for drinks buyers (22 July 2009)
http://www.drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/995/Spanish_supreme_court_to_review_Havana_club_dispute.html