US court dismisses Colombian lawsuit against Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard has announced that the lawsuit brought against the company, Diageo and Seagram in New York by a number of regional departments of Colombia, has been dismissed, without prejudice.

These departments hold a constitutional monopoly for the production and distribution of spirits in Colombia. The case was originally filed in October 2004 and alleged that the defendants committed acts of unfair competition by selling their products through illegal distribution channels and received payments from organisations involved in money laundering.

These allegations have always been denied by the defendants and Pernod Ricard therefore welcomes the dismissal. Pernod Ricard says it will continue to work with the Colombian regional departments in a cooperative effort to fight against smuggling and counterfeit products and to promote competitive markets that benefit consumers and producers alike.