News Briefs for January 28, 2025
January 28, 2025•On Friday a federal district court judge in Virginia agreed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Pernod Ricard partner Cubaexport in dismissing Bacardi’s lawsuit against the USPTO for renewing Cubaexport’s trademark for Havana Club. Bacardi said it would appeal the ruling, which follows last month’s signing of the “No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act of 2023.” The new law prevents government agencies including the USPTO from “recognizing, enforcing, or validating” trademarks seized by the Cuban government following the Communist revolution of 1959. The law nullifies Cubaexport and Pernod Ricard’s claims that Bacardi is violating the Havana Club trademark in the U.S. with its own rum of the same name, but it doesn’t cancel Cubaexport’s U.S. trademark for Havana Club, which the group has held since 1976 and will hold through 2026.
•Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s Sugarlands Distilling Company has been named the Official Moonshine of the 2025 Ryder Cup. To commemorate, Sugarlands has launched a Ryder Cup-branded Cherry Limeade flavored moonshine. The 20% abv spirit features the Ryder Cup logo and the Bethpage Black golf course on the label alongside Sugarlands branding. The limited time offering is now available across the U.S. In addition to its partnership with the Ryder Cup, Sugarlands has also become the Official Moonshine of the PGA of America and the PGA Championship.
•Josh Cellars has donated $100,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation amid the devastating blazes that hit the area this month. The donation will support providing vital equipment and resources to firefighters as they protect LA’s communities. Josh was created as a tribute to founder Joseph Carr’s dad, who was a volunteer firefighter, with the company noting that supporting the firefighting community is core to the brand’s charitable efforts.
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