Serafin de Cuba Cigars based out of Tarpon Springs, FL is a small locally owned cigar shop and factory that has been rebirthing defunct Tampa cigar brands from years past. One of those brands is the La Floridana – a classic Tampa Brand that was founded in the late 1800s by Cuban Cigar Maker Emilio Pons. It means “The Floridian girl” in English.
Recently the company noticed that Fratello cigars had started to market a brand called “La Floridan” and reached out to the owner Omar de Frias about trademark infringement of the La Floridana. With no response from Fratello Cigars, Serafin de Cuba Cigars contacted the US Trademark office about the infringement and the office subsequently canceled the Fratello trademark.
Serafin de Cuba Cigars owner Arnaldo Serafin has put out the following statement today regarding the infringement:
A responsible and respectful move. It sounds as if you have good standing for filing a civil suit against this party if after legal notice they fail to cease and desist in their current behavior. 😉
This is all BS, Serafin de Cuba only wants free press but he’s a hypocrite. Talking about “no regard for intellectual property and for doing the right thing,” while he is ripping off artwork from Habanos by copying the Hoyo de Monterrey brands for his El Principe de Galan brand.
The trademark for Fratello has not been cancelled. Just look it up in the trademark database, that trademark is live.
Kind Sir, if you search the US Trademark site you will see that on Jul 22, 2023 – a notice of suspension was sent on the La Floridan mark as being too close to La Floridana…