Very interesting!
SYDNEY – Australia's government claims in court filings that it has the legal right to enforce plain packaging on the tobacco industry, setting up what's likely to be prolonged legal battle with the world's largest cigarette makers.
In a defense filing Tuesday with the High Court of Australia, the government argues it has the power to regulate the marketing and packaging of tobacco and also claims tobacco products are harmful to public health.
"The Commonwealth will vigorously defend the validity of the plain packaging laws and does not accept there is any basis for big tobacco's claims that the measures are unconstitutional," said Attorney General Nicola Roxon in a release.
Tobacco companies, including Philip Morris International Inc., the world's second-largest cigarette maker and seller of U.S. brands including Marlboro argue that Australia's ban on package advertizing is an infringement of their intellectual property and have lodged a suit to overturn the legislation.
