The cigar industry worldwide has never been shy about borrowing names, images and ideas from others. Here are a few examples, some of which might be considered an illegal invasion of rights.

    One of these boxes was handed to me personally by the man who created it. The image on the box was lifted exactly from another, non-cigar product. The infringement seemed so blatant to me, my curiosity was overwhelming.  I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but I had to ask.

    “Isn’t this...” I said, followed by a pause while I debated my wording, finally blurting out “copyright infringement?”

    “Hell yes,” he admitted, “but it’ll take five years for them to find out and another five years to make me stop. By then I’ll have sold all those cigars.”

    The spirit of the industry for a century and a half!