Moment of truth: Govt decides on plain cigarette packs
Friday, 10 August 2012 9:14 AM
By Ian Dunt
The government may be about to risk billions of pounds in lawsuits, as it mulls whether to ban branded cigarette packets.
During the consultation, which ended overnight, tobacco companies warned the health secretary the move would amount to the "expropriation" of the industry's intellectual property.
"I can see no reason why depriving someone of his proprietary interest in a trade mark for a tobacco product (however much it may be in the public interest to do so) should be different in principle from any other deprivation in which compensation is required," legal opinion by Lord Hoffmann provided for the consultation by tobacco giant Philip Morris said.
Australia became the first country to impose blanket plain packs recently and is now facing significant legal challenges.
Anti-smoking groups insist a ban would see fewer young people take up the habit.
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