|
|
|
| RETAILER CONVICTED OF SELLING FAKES |
|
|
|
Page 1 of 2  Plus: new sizes of Macanudo to be sold by Mike’s CigarsLos Angeles, October 6 – Altadis U.S.A.’s efforts to derail the selling of fake cigars yielded a guilty verdict in a Florida trial of Ft. Lauderdale cigar-shop owner James David Joiner last Wednesday, who was arrested back in 2006 in a sting operation that the company helped to develop. Joiner, 65, was convicted by a jury on a single felony count of selling counterfeit goods valued at more than $1,000. He was reported to be selling counterfeit cigars using one or more of the popular Altadis U.S.A. trademarks such as H. Upmann, Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta from his Smoke Cafe shop in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. That city also happens to be the home of the Altadis U.S.A. headquarters office. Altadis’s pursuit of Joiner was particularly remarkable since he was also a long-time seller of legitimate Altadis U.S.A. cigars. Sentencing is scheduled for October 6 before Judge Mily Rodriguez-Powell. The company has mounted a strong effort to protect its trade names, including the creation of an investigational unit which passes on evidence of possible trademark violations to local law enforcement authorities. “Consumers expect a high level of quality from our cigar brands and a level of trust and professionalism from their tobacconist,” said the company in a statement. “When retailers knowingly sell inferior counterfeit cigars, they not only break the law, they violate that trust. “Obviously we are pleased with the outcome of the case. The cigars [sold by Joiner] were not made by Altadis U.S.A., but illegally bore trademarks owned by our company. Such conduct must be stopped as it clearly defrauds consumers.” In addition to the sentence in the criminal case, Joiner could also be sued by Altadis U.S.A. in a civil suit for monetary damages. Want to have a Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge in your store? As the roster of Diamond Crown Cigar Lounges around the country expands to nearly four dozen, the requirements to earn that designation underscore that not every store can become one. Shanda Lee, the director of marketing for the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. noted in an electronic mail message that “The Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge concept was so successful that we put a hold on any future nominations for the year and started a waiting list. We will be considering the nominations on the current waiting list for 2009.” So how does a store get nominated? “[T]here are a number of requirements,” wrote Lee. “The retailer must have a well appointed cigar store with a separate lounge area or plans to build a separate lounge area, not just a separate area for smoking. The demographics within a 25-mile radius must meet minimum requirements. The clientele of the store must also be able to support a luxury brand, like Diamond Crown, and the retailer must meet certain requirements in terms of having a proactive marketing philosophy to help support the Diamond Crown brand.” |
| < Following Column | Previous Column > |
|---|
 |
 |
Did you know?
“"If the birth of a genius resembles that of an idiot, the end of a Havana Corona resembles that of a 5-cent cigar" - Sacha Guitry.
