LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TAAT® GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the “Company” or “TAAT®”) is pleased to announce that its trademark applications on the TAAT® brand name have been finalized as “registered” trademarks in eight global markets, to include the United States, where TAAT® Original, Smooth, and Menthol are now sold in at least 2,500 stores. Starting in 2021, the Company began to pursue trademark protection in several international markets as part of its plan to expand throughout the global tobacco industry. As of the fourth week of March 2022, the TAAT® brand name is now a registered trademark in the following global markets:
| Market | Population1 | Smoking Rate |
| United States of America | 329.4 million | 12.5%2 |
| European Union (27 Members) | 447.8 million | 18.4%3 |
| Australia | 25.6 million | 11.6%4 |
| New Zealand | 5.08 million | 13.4%5 |
| Philippines | 109.5 million | 18.7%6 |
| Israel | 9.2 million | 19.8%7 |
| India | 1.38 billion | 29%8 |
| Mexico | 128.9 million | 16.4%9 |
Enforceability of the various intellectual property comprising the TAAT® brand, as well as the product and its trade dress, has become increasingly important for the Company as it continues to grow its footprint. The branding attributes of legacy tobacco products such as cigarettes appear to have become decreasingly relevant in certain markets in light of regulations that mandate “plain packaging” with minimal branding elements permitted on packs and cartons. As a non-tobacco product, TAAT® is generally exempt from such regulations and can display its logo, messaging, and corresponding colours to each TAAT® flavour as part of its presence at the point of sale. As such, brand features such as the TAAT® name are a crucial part of the product’s public appearance, and registered trademark protection in the United States as well as seven other global markets could be beneficial to the Company’s long-term growth.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ec527c1-78d8-4ecb-b762-d91efb8bdb7a
Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website for a version of this press release containing all published media.
TAAT® Founder Joe Deighan commented, “Building a robust portfolio of intellectual property for a product and a brand is a marathon and not a race, given the standard approval timelines for reviewing and processing of applications for such things as trademarks. In the CPG industry, trademarks are incredibly important not just for the long-term profitability of a given brand, but also for the protection of the consumer. In markets such as the United Kingdom, counterfeit cigarettes are a pervasive issue ultimately harming individual smokers the most with cigarettes of unknown quality sold under well-known brand names10. Through legal mechanisms such as trademarks, firms in the tobacco industry like TAAT® are able to push back against the seemingly inevitable knock-off versions of their products that can come to market. Furthermore, trademarks can provide broader protection for the brand beyond just the smokable product in categories such as merchandise. It is a significant milestone for us to have obtained a trademark on the TAAT® brand in the United States and several markets that we are planning to enter in the near future, and we look forward to taking advantage of the brand protection these registered trademarks afford us. ”
Sources
1 – https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL
2 – https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm
3 – https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/edn-20211112-1
4 – https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/tobacco-smoking
6 – https://psa.gov.ph/press-releases/id/165209
7 – https://www.health.gov.il/English/Topics/KHealth/smoking/Pages/SmokingRatesInIsrael.aspx
8 – https://www.who.int/india/health-topics/tobacco
9 – https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/problem/toll-global/latin-america/mexico
10 – https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47004388
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,
TAAT® GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC.
“Setti Coscarella”
Setti Coscarella, CEO and Director
For further information, please contact:
TAAT® Investor Relations
1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872)
[email protected]
THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (“CSE”) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSE’S REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER.
About TAAT® Global Alternatives Inc.
The Company has developed TAAT®, which is a tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternative to traditional cigarettes offered in “Original”, “Smooth”, and “Menthol” varieties. TAAT®’s base material is Beyond Tobacco™, a proprietary blend which undergoes a patent-pending refinement technique causing its scent and taste to resemble tobacco. Under executive leadership with “Big Tobacco” pedigree, TAAT® was launched first in the United States in Q4 2020 as the Company seeks to position itself in the $812 billion1 global tobacco industry.
For more information, please visit http://taatglobal.com.
References
1 Statista: Consumer Markets – Tobacco Products
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the anticipated performance of TAAT® in the tobacco industry, in addition to the following: Potential outcomes and benefits from the registration of the TAAT® trademark in the eight markets mentioned in the press release, potential issuance of trademarks applied for in additional markets. The forward-looking information reflects management’s current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company’s management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Company’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Company’s products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Company’s products on an individual’s health and well-being. The Company’s products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees.
Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms
Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by TAAT® Global Alternatives Inc. can be found under the Company’s profile on http://sedar.com.
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