Havana Club rum battle continues

Bacardi USA has won a key round in its legal battle with Pernod Ricard over sales of the Havana Club rum brand in the United States.



A federal judge in Delaware this week rejected Pernod’s claims that Bacardi’s use of the Havana Club label is misleading, because the rum is not made in Cuba.



The judge ruled that Bacardi’s product says it’s made in Puerto Rico and is derived from a 1920s-era Cuban recipe.



The two companies have been locked in a trademark dispute for years.



They both sell rum under the Havana Club name, Pernod, outside the United States and Bacardi within it.



Pernod executives say they will appeal the ruling.