Bacardi protests renewal of Cuba’s rum trademark in the US

  • Print

Bacardi wants to know more about a recent U.S. government decision allowing Cuba to sell its Havana Club rum in America when the U.S. trade embargo ends.

Last month, the U.S. renewed the Havana Club trademark for state-owned Cubaexport. Bacardi and Cubaexport have tangled in court for nearly 20 years over the trademark.

Bacardi has been selling its own brand of Havana Club rum, distilled in Puerto Rico, here since the 1990s. Cubaexport owns the trademark in the rest of the world.

In a statement Monday, Bermuda-based Bacardi said it filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Department of Treasury over the trademark's renewal, which it contends violates "the language and spirit of U.S. law."

Bacardi general counsel Eduardo Sanchez called the renewal "unprecedented, sudden and silent."

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

{{ articles_remaining }}
Free {{ article_text }} Remaining
{{ articles_remaining }}
Free {{ article_text }} Remaining Article limit resets on
{{ count_down }}