Category: Press

SALT LAKE CITY, August 2, 2017 – CirTran Beverage Corp., a subsidiary of CirTran Corporation (OTC BB:CIRC) and Play Beverages, LLC said today that they have filed an appeal of the adverse jury verdict and related orders entered in favor of Playboy Enterprises in the long-running trademark and licensing dispute between the parties concerning Playboy Energy Drink. The appeal, filed on July 21, 1917, asks that all relief awarded to Playboy be vacated and that a new trial be granted to CirTran Beverage and Play Beverages on each of their claims. CirTran Beverage and Play Beverages brought the lawsuit against Playboy in 2012 seeking to enforce contractual and related rights to manufacture and market a line of energy drinks using the Playboy trademarks. Iehab J. Hawatmeh, president of CirTran Beverage, said that veteran trial lawyer Todd C. Jacobs from litigation boutique Bradley Riley Jacobs PC of Chicago has been retained in the appeal. “CirTran Beverage and Play Beverages were extremely disappointed by the outcome in the trial court,” Mr. Hawatmeh said. “However, we believe in the justice system and that our rights will ultimately be vindicated on appeal and at a retrial of this matter.”

SALT LAKE CITY, October 27, 2016 – CirTran Beverage Corp., a subsidiary of CirTran Corporation (OTC BB: CIRC) and Play Beverages, LLC said today that a motion for a new trial and a Judgement Notwithstanding the Verdict will be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, County Department, Law Division in the ongoing litigation against Playboy Enterprises International, Inc..

CirTran Beverage and Play Beverages had brought suit against Playboy in 2012 regarding a contract and license to manufacture and market a line of energy drinks. CirTran Beverage and Play Beverages also brought non-contract claims against Playboy.

Iehab J. Hawatmeh, president of CirTran Beverage, said he and his legal team were also evaluating appellate options regarding the trial. Neither Mr. Hawatmeh nor CirTran Corporation was a party to the suit.

CirTran Beverage and Play Beverages were extremely disappointed in the outcome of the trial,” he said, “but we do believe in the justice system and continue to believe that justice will be served.”

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 20, 2014 -- CirTran Corporation (OTCBB: CIRC) has filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2014, with the company’s trimming of selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense helping achieve a significant reduction in losses.

For the three months ended September 30, 2014, CirTran reported a loss of $102,845, or 47% less than the $192,526 loss for the same period in 2013, as SG&A expense was cut by 64% to $325,146 as compared with $892,245 a year ago. For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, CirTran reported a loss of $1,083,876 compared with a net income of $1,070,340 in 2013, when the company had benefitted from a gain on debt settlement.

Sales for the three months ended September 30, 2014, were $200,871, down from the $658,361 for the same period a year ago. Sales for the nine months ended September 30 were $1,100,484 as compared with $2,623,204 for the same period a year ago.

Iehab J. Hawatmeh, CirTran’s founder, chairman and CEO, said that “sales were impacted by uncertainty caused by Playboy in litigations brought in 2013 and into 2014. The global distribution network we built for Playboy Energy Drink reacted with considerable concern and reduced orders. Despite these setbacks caused by Playboy, CirTran Beverage Corporation and Play Beverages continue to work hard to regain market share and momentum,” he said.

Mr. Hawatmeh also said that the resignation of Board member Fadi Nora, announced in an 8-K filing a week ago, will allow Mr. Nora to focus on his other roles with CirTran businesses. “Mr. Nora had no disagreement with CirTran and his service to the company is highly valued,” he said, noting that a replacement is now being sought.

SALT LAKE CITY, September 8, 2014 – A website – www.PlayboyEnergyDrinx.com– is available online in support of the line of Playboy Energy Drinks manufactured and distributed internationally by Play Beverages, LLC and its CirTran Beverages and CirTran Corporation (OTC BB: CIRC) parents. “Play Beverages, LLC continues to hold the exclusive world-wide license rights to manufacture and sell the Playboy Energy Drink product line,” said Iehab J. Hawatmeh, chairman and CEO of CirTran. “While we acknowledge that Playboy disputes this claim, the courts have not agreed with Playboy,” he said. “In fact, every court that has considered this issue to date – since late 2012 – has ruled in favor of Play Beverages and against Playboy! “Today and we believe for many tomorrows, Play Beverages and its CirTran parents companies remain committed to providing exceptional product and service to the loyal distributors, restaurants and retail outlets in 20 countries around the world who carry Playboy Energy Drinks,” Mr. Hawatmeh said. Mr. Hawatmeh said the www.PlayboyEnergyDrinx.com web site features information on special events, drink recipes and a photo gallery of Playboy Energy Drink Girls worldwide.

SALT LAKE CITY, August 29, 2014 -- CirTran Corporation (OTCBB: CIRC) has filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2014.

During the quarter and in the six months ended June 30, CirTran was driven by sales of its Playboy Energy Drink products, while working to overcome uncertainty in the marketplace over the outcome of numerous legal battles – all won to date -- with Playboy Enterprises.

For the quarter, CirTran reported sales of $547,870 as compared with $1,096,691 for the same period a year ago. For the six months ended June 30, 2014, CirTran showed sales of $899,613, down from the $1,964,843 reported for the first half of 2013.

CirTran reported a net loss of $722,546 for the quarter, while reporting a net income of $1,695,346 for the same period in 2013. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, CirTran reported a net loss of $980,941 as compared with a net income of $1,262,866 for the first half of 2013. A loss in derivative valuations, a non-cash item, contributed $475,945 to the net loss in the first six months of 2014.

Iehab J. Hawatmeh, CirTran’s founder and CEO, said that, “while impacted by momentum lost while battling in court, CirTran has emerged unbeaten, our David triumphant over their Goliath, with retained rights to Playboy Energy Drink. Today, we remain hopeful that our hard work and the growing awareness of our successes in the legal process will lead us back to profitability.”

SALT LAKE CITY, July 29, 2014 -- CirTran Corporation (OTCBB: CIRC) has filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2014.

The late filing, said Chairman and CEO Iehab Hawatmeh, resulted from dealing with the issues related to litigation between CirTran’s Play Beverages partner and Playboy Enterprises (see “Illinois Court Again Rules for CirTran/PlayBev over Playboy; 8^th Straight Legal Victory as Claims are Dismissed with Prejudice,” BusinessWire, June 3, 2014).

Mr. Hawatmeh said the manufacture and global distribution of Playboy Energy Drink, CirTran’s flagship product line, “suffered as time, attention and resources were spent on litigation.”

For the quarter, CirTran reported sales of $351,743, down from $868,152 reported for the same period a year ago. Cost of sales was reduced by more than 90%, resulting in a gross profit of $331,186 or 94.15% as compared with $596,143 or 68.67% for the first quarter of 2013.

CirTran showed significant improvement in operating results, reporting a net loss of $258,395, 59% better than the loss of $432,480 in the first quarter of fiscal 2013.

“With eight legal victories achieved, CirTran is working to regain the momentum we had in and growing our Playboy Energy Drink business in a world market we see as thirsty for our products,” said Mr. Hawatmeh

SALT LAKE CITY, June 3, 2014 – Once again, the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois has ruled in favor of CirTran Corporation (OTC BB: CIRC) and its Play Beverages partner in their on-going legal battle with Playboy Enterprises.
On Monday, the Honorable Kathleen M. Pantle dismissed with prejudice an amended third-party complaint filed by Playboy against CirTran Corporation, its President Iehab J. Hawatmeh, and fellow board member Fadi Nora. The ruling follows an earlier order issued by Judge Pantle in January, 2014, which dismissed Playboy’s original third-party complaint for failure to plead sufficient facts to state a claim against these parties under Illinois law. At that time, Judge Pantle allowed Playboy to file the now-dismissed amended complaint.
This legal victory is the eighth favorable ruling CirTran and its partners have obtained since litigation with Playboy commenced in late 2012.
“The legal process is tedious, time-consuming and expensive,” said Mr. Hawatmeh. “But winning each and every time reassures us that we are doing things the right way and on the right track.”
Last week, CirTran filed its 10-K for fiscal year 2013 showing a showing a bottom line improvement of $1.1 million, led by sales and distribution of Playboy Energy Drink. CirTran said it will file Form 10-Q for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 shortly.

SALT LAKE CITY, May 28, 2014 – CirTran Corporation (OTC BB: CIRC) today filed its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, showing a bottom line improvement of $1.1 million.

The filing reported a net gain attributable to operations of CirTran Corporation and its subsidiaries of $855,905, an improvement of 446 per cent over a loss of $247,625 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. CirTran also reported a significant gain in net income, $1,224,243 as compared with a loss of $1,787,643 in fiscal 2012, mainly driven by a gain on settlement of debt and liabilities.

The bottom line gain was achieved even as net sales were down, with CirTran reporting $3,469,006 as compared with $4,260,417 for fiscal 2012. Revenues from beverage distribution, which accounted for 97 per cent of sales, grew mainly in the United States and Canada.

Iehab J. Hawatmeh, CirTran’s founder and CEO, called 2013 “a year of time-consuming and costly litigation in which the company was dominant, and in showing we can run leaner and more efficiently, with a better bottom line outcome. Now we can put our energies and resources to work growing our business, driven by the Playboy Energy Drink line of products.”

Mr. Hawatmeh said CirTran will file Form 10-Q for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 in the next few days.

SALT LAKE CITY, April 28, 2014 -- CirTran Corporation (OTC BB: CIRC) announced today that it continues to work to file its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 upon final approval from its auditor.

CirTran previously disclosed, in Form 12b-25 recently filed with the SEC, why it was unable to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K audit.

CirTran estimates that it will report a net income of approximately $1,587,000 on revenues of approximately $3,469,000 for the year ended December 31, 2013, as compared to a net loss of approximately $1,787,643 on revenues of $4,260,417 for the year ended December 31, 2012. These estimates are preliminary and subject to verification and adjustment, the company said.

“Beverage distribution continues to be the flagship of our product line and we are moving ahead with sales and distribution of Playboy Energy Drink -- with the famous rabbit trademark -- in more than 20 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the U.S., South America, Europe and Canada,” said Iehab J. Hawatmeh, CirTran’s founder and CEO.”

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 9, 2014 -- CirTran Corporation (OTC BB: CIRC) and its Play Beverages partner continued to be a big and consistent winner in their on-going legal battle with Playboy Enterprises this week as the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois ruled in favor of the companies and their senior executives.

The Hon. Kathleen M. Pantle dismissed all claims brought by Playboy against CirTran Corporation, and personally against CirTran President Iehab J. Hawatmeh and fellow senior executive Fadi Nora. Judge Pantel’s ruling focused on Playboy’s inability to plead facts sufficient to state a claim against these parties under Illinois law. She allowed Playboy the opportunity to file an amended complaint if Playboy can honestly assert facts that would allow Playboy to pierce the corporate veil.
This was the seventh time in as many rulings (since December 2012) that CirTran and its partners have won in court against Playboy.

In a related matter, Judge Pantle granted CirTran and its Play Beverages partners’ motion to compel Jimmy Esebag and United Licensing Group to respond to discovery requests and deposition questions, finding that Mr. Esebag and Playboy’s legal counsel engaged in obstructionist conduct by refusing to produce relevant evidence and testimony. Judge Pantel also reserved on awarding fees and sanctions against Mr. Esebag and Playboy for a later date.

“While we have spent too much time in court battling seemingly never-ending yet fruitless charges brought by Playboy, we are delighted to again have the court rule in our favor,” Mr. Hawatmeh said.
“Beverage distribution continues to be the flagship of our product line,” he added, “and we are moving ahead with sales and distribution of Playboy Energy Drink with the famous rabbit trademark, in 20 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the U.S., South America, Europe and Canada.”