Cuban and Non Cubans with identical brand names

[Joss]

I just read [MENTION=13431452]RobBooth[/MENTION]'s thread about Nicaraguan Montecristo's and it got me wondering how many other Cigar brands are in this situation i.e. Manufactured by two different and unrelated companies in different parts of the world but share the same brand name.

The ones I know of are:

Montecristo- Also produced in Nicaragua.
Cohiba- Also produced in Dominican Republic as Cohiba Red Dot.
Hoyo de Monterrey- Also produced in Honduras
Romeo Y Julieta- Also produced in Dominican Republic.

Are there any more? Are any of the NC ones any good?

[Krist]

apparently some of the red dots are exceptional, I'm not sure which vitola though. I think [MENTION=13402615]PeeJay[/MENTION] might know.

[sheppsea]

I think Bolivar, Upmann, Partagas, and Punch also have NC versions, but I'm sure there will be more

I have never smoked any of them so not sure how they are

[Roy_Drage]

I didn't realise the couod do that. Very interesting.

[Joss]

I didn't realise the couod do that. Very interesting.

When the US embargo is lifted, this could bring with it several lawsuits between the Cuban government and those using the trading names.

Some of the Non Cuban companies can lay more of a claim to the original name than the Cubans. Take Hoyo de Monterrey. The proprietor was a Cuban cigar producer who escaped the Cuban revolution and set up production elsewhere, only the Cuban government carried on using the company name for their cigars in Cuba.

[Joss]

Quite a cool label on the Cohiba Red Dot.

[sheppsea]

There is a lot of threads on various forums on this recently as obviously there is a big question of what will happen to the NC versions when the embargo is lifted. It also worth remembering that the cigar industry was nationalised so my (extremely limited and simplistic) understanding is that legally you could argue the NC manufacturers don't have a right to the names

This gives a quick overview - I mainly linking this as I didn't realise most of the NC brand didn't start producing their versions until the 70s

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/16374

[Roy_Drage]

When the US embargo is lifted, this could bring with it several lawsuits between the Cuban government and those using the trading names.

Some of the Non Cuban companies can lay more of a claim to the original name than the Cubans. Take Hoyo de Monterrey. The proprietor was a Cuban cigar producer who escaped the Cuban revolution and set up production elsewhere, only the Cuban government carried on using the company name for their cigars in Cuba.

Cheers, a lot more to,it than I realised. I will have to keep an eye out for updates on the embargo.

[CPWSolf]

I've heard some of those NCs are good. Not that I've had any of them (knowingly)

[wayne_w]

Am I right in thinking that the NC brands are actually the original families / Blenders etc of the name?
After the revolution, because all the cigar companies were nationalised, they decided to move out of Cuba & into the surrounding islands?
Therefore, retaining their own identity's that the Castro's were then making their own.
I read that the original families had their own farms & businesses, that were literally taken from them, in the aftermath of the revolution.

[Joss]

Am I right in thinking that the NC brands are actually the original families / Blenders etc of the name?
After the revolution, because all the cigar companies were nationalised, they decided to move out of Cuba & into the surrounding islands?
Therefore, retaining their own identity's that the Castro's were then making their own.
I read that the original families had their own farms & businesses, that were literally taken from them, in the aftermath of the revolution.

Yes I think thats generally right I think. The industry became nationalised and therefore the property of the state.

[Sligub]

Am I right in thinking that the NC brands are actually the original families / Blenders etc of the name?
After the revolution, because all the cigar companies were nationalised, they decided to move out of Cuba & into the surrounding islands?
Therefore, retaining their own identity's that the Castro's were then making their own.
I read that the original families had their own farms & businesses, that were literally taken from them, in the aftermath of the revolution.

That's the story but there actually all owned by big tobacco (general owns most of them now). Under international law the cuban government own the trademarks because the business were nationalised. The American government don't accept the legitimacy of the cuban government so treat it as an illegal seizure of property.

The only one that's different is cohiba as it was a post revolution brand, there is a big trademark court case winding it's way through the American courts at the moment.

[monkey66]

It's going to be interesting. Ultimately I suspect the argument that the nc brands would never been allowed to exist if Cuba wasn't a prescribed state may prevail (as it does in the UK for instance). A large element of trademark law ia about 'acrueed godwill' in other words do people think we'll of the brand 'Cohiba' and who ultimately created that goodwill. However this is very big money and politics so anything could happen.

The next time you see one of these NCs are better than the cc originals (of which we have seen a few) view it through the above mentioned filter.

[Sligub]

It's going to be interesting. Ultimately I suspect the argument that the nc brands would never been allowed to exist if Cuba wasn't a prescribed state may prevail (as it does in the UK for instance). A large element of trademark law ia about 'acrueed godwill' in other words do people think we'll of the brand 'Cohiba' and who ultimately created that goodwill. However this is very big money and politics so anything could happen.

The next time you see one of these NCs are better than the cc originals (of which we have seen a few) view it through the above mentioned filter.

It wouldn't shock me if general became the US importer of cubans in exchange for the US copyright/trademark rights.

[Nick2021]

It wouldn't shock me if general became the US importer of cubans in exchange for the US copyright/trademark rights.

Many people share this same view. It would be interesting to see what happens.