Relatives of executed man seek ruling on trademarks Lawyers believe courts can unlock regime’s assets They are the quintessential ingredients of a sultry Havana night: cocktails blended from premium rum and hand-rolled cigars so fine that Fidel Castro would smoke no other brand. But now a court in Miami may hand two of Cuba’s most prized assets – the trademarks for Havana Club rum and Cohiba cigars – to the family of a man exe ... Jump to full article >>

August 30, 2009 – RICHMOND, Va. — After Philip Morris USA filed a lawsuit against three Mastic, N.Y., retail stores on the Poospatuck reservation, approximately 300 cartons of counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes were seized. The Mastic retailers were among a group of nine stores in New York and New Jersey that PM USA sued for selling counterfeit versions of the company’s brand cigarettes. “The sale of counterfeit cigarettes unde ... Jump to full article >>

On Tuesday a Baltimore federal district court jury rejected Star Scientific’s patent claims against Reynolds American, handing Reynolds a major victory over the upstart tobacco company in its attempt to translate its tobacco curing methods into hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and licensing fees. The jury verdict was a wipeout for Star: Jurors not only found its patents invalid but also said Reynolds did not infringe. It doesn ... Jump to full article >>