JR Cigars

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800-JR Cigar, Inc., more commonly known as JRCigar or JRCigar.com, is one of the largest wholesalers and retailers of cigars and cigar related products in the United States. The company originated as a cigar shop in Manhattan but now chiefly operates through on-line and catalog sales; however, the company maintains three retail outlets in North Carolina,[1] the largest of the three being located in Burlington, North Carolina.

The company previously traded on the NASDAQ under the trading symbol JRJR after an initial public offering in 1997[2]. The company was later acquired by the Spanish company Altadis S.A. in 2003[3]. The company continues to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altadis.

The company has been prosecuting significant litigation against GoTo.com on the issue of whether the use of a trademark as a keyword in a search engine constitutes trademark infringement. In the latest decision[4], the court held that GoTo had been making a “use” of the trademark “in commerce”, but concluded that it was unable to grant summary judgement on the issue of infringement, so that a full trial is necessary.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Hoovers[1]
  2. ^ NASDAQ notice[2]
  3. ^ Altadis press release[3]
  4. ^ 800-JR Cigar, Inc. v. Goto.com, Inc. 437 F. Supp. 2d 273 (D.N.J., July 13, 2006)

[edit] External links