tobacco plain packaging

Tobacco Plain Packaging Laws Upheld by WTO Appellate Body

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The WTO’s Appellate Body has dismissed the appeals by Honduras and the Dominican Republic against Australia’s tobacco plain packaging laws (TPP measures).

In summary, the Appellate Body upheld the Dispute Panel’s findings that:

  • the TPP measures were not more restrictive than necessary to fulfil a legitimate objective within the meaning of art. 2.2 of the TBT Agreement
  • the TPP measures were not inconsistent with art. 16.1 of the TRIPS Agreement; and
  • the TPP measures were not inconsistent with art. 20 of the TRIPS Agreement.

(Strictly speaking, the Appellate Body found that Honduras and Dominican Republic did not demonstrate the TPP measures were inconsistent with the relevant obligations.)

Cuba and Indonesia did not proceed with appeals against the Panel decisions rejecting their complaints. Ukraine’s complaint never proceeded to a Panel hearing.

Report and Addendum

Just the findings and conclusions (in pdf format)

Summary of key findings (DS435 – Honduras) and (DS441 – Dominican Republic).

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Trade Mark 2,000,000

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IP Australia has published details of Trade Mark No. 2,000,000:

Trade Mark No. 2000000

I am not sure whether the sequence has been unbroken right from Trade Mark No. 1. Even so, the meter has ticked over and it is definitely a milestone of sorts.

It does seem a little strange, in these days of tobacco plain packaging laws, that someone is pursuing a trade mark registration for a new brand, but it does also extend to smoker’s articles and e-cigs.

By way of interest, Trade Mark No. 1,000,000 was filed by Anchor Foods on 23 April 2004.

That is, it took almost 100 years to get to the 1,000,000 mark; but it took only 15 years for the next million.

I wonder whether “Northern Lights” will achieve the same degree of notoriety as the equally colourful “Golden Lights“.

Lid dip: Dave Stewart

ps. Trade Mark No 1 is still there and, all right, it was only filed on 2 July 1906 so strictly speaking it took just under 98 years to clock up 1 million.

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