They are true Cohibas in the sense that they are called "Cohiba" by the manufacturer. General Cigar owned the rights to the true Dominican Cohiba(red dot) and this other Cohiba was manufactured before General got them to cease importation into the States. Now General has lost the trademark:
Court-Ordered Stay Keeps General Cigar's Cohiba Brand on Shelves for Now, But Recall Looms
New York - Following the cancellation of General Cigar Co.'s Cohiba trademark in March by Southern District of New York Judge Robert Sweet, retailers and distributors have been but on alert that a recall and sales ban of the brand is likely to occur in June.
General Cigar was granted a temporary, 40-day stay to allow the New York-based manufacturer the opportunity to formally file for a more permanent stay, according to executive vice president David Danziger, who revealed in a letter sent to retailers in early May that such stays are "rarely granted."
Danziger stated in the letter that the company, which manufacturers its Cohiba brand in the Dominican Republic, believes it has strong grounds for ultimate reversal of the decision, but the time frame for a final ruling could easily exceed a year.
As a result of General's letter, many retailers were advising customers to make their purchases of Cohiba and Cohiba XV (Extra Vigoroso) brands while they were still available.
The other yellowband Cohibas are able to be sold if they were previously imported, before General got them to stop the importation.