Cuba regains control of Havana Club rum brand in U.S.

Cuba won the right to the Havana Club brand in the U.S. this week, boosting the chance for Cuba's most famous brand to enter the North American market.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted the brand to Cubaexport earlier in the week in a case that was contested by Bacardi.

While Bacardi was born in Cuba, it has been based in Bermuda since abandoning the island in 1959. With most Cuban products banned from being sold in the U.S., Bacardi has marketed a Puerto Rico-made rum under the Havana Club name.

The decision by the USPTO will allow Cubaexport to register the brand in the U.S., after Jan. 27 when the current 10-year brand registration period finishes. The company has already applied to register the brand from 2016 to 2026, according to Olivier Cavil, a spokesperson from France's Pernod Ricard.

Pernod Ricard and Cubaexport jointly own the Havana Club international company.

However, Bacardi is still waited for a ruling by the District Court of Columbia, where it is also contesting the rights to the Havana Club brand in the U.S.

When asked about the impact of the USPTO decision, Cavil said that "it is not highly significant...as the embargo remains in place."

Cuban products are still banned from the U.S. due to the economic blockade in force since 1962. Endi