A bill recently proposed by US lawmakers may further
complicate Pernod Ricard’s ambition to launch its Havana Club rum brand in the
United States.
I can't believe that this story in the past month has made so many legal twists and turns. Now we have the legislature getting involved attaching it to a financial bill to get it through. This has got to come to a close soon, it is becoming ludicrous. Come on people, make a decision and just stick with it.
If passed, a financial bill may further complicate
Cuba-made Havana Cub rum in the US
At the end of last month, the House of
Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2017 Financial Services and
General Government Appropriations bill, which stated a number of legislative
provisions. Among them was a provision that would prohibit
“funds to approve the licensing of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that
was confiscated by the Cuban Government without express consent”.
The bill – which provides annual funding for
the Treasury Department, the Judiciary, the Small Business Administration, the
Securities and Exchange Commission, and other related agencies – is currently
being considered by a subcommittee.
If passed, the bill may prevent Pernod Ricard
from launching its Havana Club rum in the US. The brand is currently poised to
launch in the market if a long-standing trade embargo between the Cuba and US
is lifted.
However, Bacardi markets its own Havana Club
rum, made in Puerto Rico, in the US and so has launched a legal battle against
its rival. In
February this year, Pernod Ricard confirmed the trademark
for its own Havana Club rum, owned by Cubaexport, had been
officially renewed in the US until 2026. The
following month, Bacardi asked a US district court to
“strike” the Havana Club trademark from the official register in the
latest move in a battle with Cubaexport over the rights to the brand name in
the country.
