Cigar Companero Cigar News Page June 2008

General Cigar Co. June 12, 2008

Cantankerous Punch Puppet Protests Retail Celebration

Richmond, VA-Select retail tobacconists are gearing up to celebrate the birthday of the premium cigar category's one-and-only pot-bellied, trash-talking character, Mr. Punch. The caveat is that Mr. Punch isn't exactly cooperating.

The promotion will take place during the month of July at tobacco retail stores throughout the U.S. and will feature Mr. Punch's irreverent brand of commentary.

At retail, consumers will receive a Punch® birthday card that plays off of the brand's ad campaign by featuring Mr. Punch and his snarky remarks. Upon opening the card, customers will learn if they are a winner. At each store, there will be one first prize winner who walks away with a 100-count Punch humidor and a 25-count box of Punch cigars. In addition, there will be five second prizes who will each win a 10-count box of Punch cigars. Fifty customers will receive the third prize -- a Punch cigar. Non-winning cards will use Mr. Punch's inimitable style to encourage consumers to try again.

Rich Chandler, director of marketing for Punch cigars comments, "The Mr. Punch birthday promotion will help to bring Mr. Punch's character to life at retail, while stimulating consumer trial and purchase. Of course, it wouldn't be Mr. Punch if he sat idle and didn't weigh in with an acerbic salvo. In-store POS materials will allow Mr. Punch to speak his mind with sentiments like 'It's MY birthday - why should YOU get a gift?'"

There will be one first-prize winner per store, plus five second place winners and fifty third-place winners. Punch Magnum and Punch Gran Puro Rancho, both 54 ring gauge cigars favored among devoted Punch smokers, will be the cigar prizes given away during the month-long birthday celebration.

During the promotion, retailers will also offer an assortment of special 10-count boxes of the best-selling Punch expressions, allowing consumers to sample an array of Punch cigars.

About General Cigar
General Cigar Co., Inc., a subsidiary of Swedish Match, manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Passionate about delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar produces Macanudo®, Partagas®, Cohiba®, Punch®, Excalibur®, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Gloria Cubana and several other industry-leading brands, which are sold through tobacconists nationwide. In addition, the company grows its own proprietary Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco, as well as natural and candela wrapper in the Dominican Republic. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com

® Punch, Macanudo, Partagas, Cohiba, Excalibur, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Gloria Cubana and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.

June 2008

ALTADIS U.S.A. WINS TRIAL DECISION FOR
MONTECRISTO TRADEMARK

Altadis U.S.A. Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of premium cigars, has scored another victory in its ongoing effort to reinforce a
zero-tolerance policy against cigar counterfeiting and trademark infringement. Cuban Cigar Brands, N.V., a subsidiary of Altadis U.S.A.,
recently won a trial decision in favor of its famous Montecristo trademark in a case against Inter America Cigar Co. The Trademark
Trial and Appeal Board held there is a likelihood of confusion between Cuban Cigar Brands’ “Montecristo” mark for use in connection
with cigars (and a wide variety of additional goods and services) and Inter America Cigar Company’s “Primo del Cristo” mark for use
in connection with cigars.
The Board found a likelihood of confusion based upon the strength of the renowned Montecristo trademark, the fact that the Primo del
Cristo and Montecristo cigars would likely be sold in the same channels of trade, and the fact that the Primo del Cristo trademark
contains elements reminiscent of designs already registered by Cuban Cigar Brands in connection with its Montecristo trademarks.
The Board also reasoned that consumers would likely be confused into believing that Primo del Cristo is a new brand offered as a “first,”
“leading,” “excellent,” or “superior” line of Montecristo cigars, given Cuban Cigar Brands’ many embellishments of the Montecristo
trademark and the practice in the cigar industry to create derivatives of signature cigar lines.
The Grimes & Battersby law firm handled the case for Cuban Cigar Brands.
NOTICE TO THE TRADE
Altadis U.S.A. is strongly committed to the vigorous enforcement of its trademark rights and will seek criminal prosecution of anyone
who would violate those rights. Altadis U.S.A. continues to work with state and federal law enforcement officials to use anticounterfeiting
laws to secure convictions of counterfeiters of our brands.
If we learn that any importer, distributor, retailer or other member of the Trade is dealing in counterfeit cigars or cigar packaging, we
will proceed against the offender aggressively through civil and/or criminal channels.
In addition to criminal prosecution, in appropriate cases, we will invoke the civil provision of the federal trademark law that allows courts
to award trademark owners like Altadis U.S.A. up to $1 million in statutory (non-compensatory) damages per counterfeited mark, as
well as their attorney’s fees. We have been awarded damages and attorney’s fees of $1 million to $2.25 million in such cases.
Altadis U.S.A. also continues to work successfully with U.S. Customs to arrange for the seizure and destruction of shipments of
counterfeit cigars and packaging materials. Members of the Trade who have paid for cigars that turn out to be counterfeits and are thus
seized by U.S. Customs should be aware that in such circumstances they will find themselves without recourse - counterfeiters do not
refund monies nor are they in a position to make good with legitimate product with the quality and prestige of Altadis U.S.A.’s brands.
Altadis U.S.A.’s brands include, among others: Montecristo, H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, Trinidad, Don Diego, Santa Damiana,
Cabanas, Por Larrañaga, La Corona, Saint Luis Rey and Quintero.
We caution the Trade against engaging in illegal activity in violation of our rights in any of our brands and ask you to inform us
immediately if you receive a solicitation for products that violate our rights.