CONTACT: Frank Herrera

H New Media / 305-965-5148

Date: August 11, 2011

MEDIA RELEASE
The law rm of H New Media and its client Inter-America Cigar Company announced today a unique legal settlement offer to resolve a trademark dispute with Cuba: Inter-Americas United States HAVANA SUNRISE trademark in exchange for the release of U.S. contractor Alan P. Gross held in Cuban prison. Trademarks for Freedom. Frank Herrera of H New Media and Benjamin Gomez of Inter-America stated that they are willing to settle their longstanding trademark battle with Corporacion Habanos, S..A. (The Cuban governments cigar distribution and exportation company) over the name HAVANA SUNRISE if the Cuban government will agree to release Alan P. Gross. Mr. Gross, a U.S. government subcontractor, has been held behind Cuban bars since his arrest in December 2009. This past spring he was found guilty by the Cuban government of bringing satellite and other Internet enabling communication equipment into Cuba. A recent appeal has ended Mr. Gross legal process in Cuba where he will remain to serve his 15 year prison sentence. His family has made countless pleas to U.S. politicians and the Cuban government to no avail. Mr. Gomez has owned the HAVANA SUNRISE trademark since 2006 but the trademark has been used in connection with cigars in the U.S. since the mid-1990s by a predecessor. Two years ago, Corporacion Habanos led a trademark cancellation proceeding in the U.S. in order to bar Mr. Gomezs company from ownership of the trademark registration. During this time, Cuba unilaterally cancelled Mr. Gomezs HAVANA SUNRISE trademark registration which was on le at the Cuban trademark ofce. Mr. Gomezs company, like many other U.S. companies, has been under legal attack by Corporacion Habanos for years. In fact, some of these companies with similar legal issues have litigated against Corporacion Habanos for nearly a decade. We believe that the Government of Cuba has no legal right to attack our United States trademarks. Even so, they have relentlessly litigated against us and others for years. They have preyed on many companies that have very little nancial resources to defend against these baseless cases. However, we have stood our ground to protect our trademark that has been used in the U.S. for nearly 20 years. While we strongly believe that we will win our case, we are very concerned about Mr. Gross mental and physical health while incarcerated in Cuba. He is simply accused of trying to bring Internet access to Cubas people. We believe in freedom of expression and other basic human rights and can not sit quietly. That is why we have decided to make this public offer to Cuba. Release Mr. Gross and we will voluntarily surrender our HAVANA SUNRISE trademark registration. It is a small token, but we believe that there is great value in this to both sides of the Florida Straits. - Mr. Gomez of Inter-America Cigar Co. The United States Treasury Department enforces regulations that forbid certain exchanges, monetary or otherwise, between United States citizens or companies and Cuban persons or entities without a special license. Mr. Gomez said that he is prepared to request such a special license or otherwise work through any other legal red-tape to make this happen should the Cuban government accept his offer. Moreover, Mr. Gomez offered to work with other companies that are litigating against Corporacion Habanos in an attempt to have them join in his offer of Trademarks for Freedom. It is estimated that Corporacion Habanos has spent millions of dollars on attorneys fees over the past decade litigating these trademark cases in the U.S. in light of the fact that Cuban goods and services can not be sold in the U.S. due to the long-standing embargo. Mr. Gomez hopes that Cuba will see the value in his offer. Frank Herrera of H New Media can be reached for comment at (305) 965-5148 or fherrera@hnewmedia.com. Inter-America Cigar Co. has been in business since the early 1970s and is one of the oldest continuously operated family cigar businesses in the country.