Black-and-white cigarette packs in Australia have disturbed 14 countries and more than 50 international organizations

April 17, 2012

14 countries and more than 50 international organizations have argued against Australian decision to prohibit use of any trade marks, Company logos, colors or design elements on cigarette packs. This question that potentially infringes rules for international trade and intellectual property rights will be discussed during consultations in the frame of World Trade Organization (WTO).

As World Trade Law informs, among countries that have addressed with official protest for Australia actions are Mexico, Cuba, Ukraine, Ecuador, Philippines and Dominican Republic. Switzerland representatives have called Australia to meet TRIPS requirements (WTO Agreement about trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights), but China, Chile and Brasilia representatives have declared about necessity to examine this question in detail before introducing any restrictions.

Their protests against Australian decision have voiced all leading world business-associations and organizations for intellectual property protection. Among them: International Chamber of Commerce, International Trademark Association and also coalition of six largest USA business-organizations. In their general letter with protest against measures mentioned above, these Organizations mark "serious threat for intellectual property rights in entire world and trade restrictions that may be caused by Australian measures".

Let's remind that Australian parliament has recently signed a number of laws that require selling all tobacco products in simple black-and-white pack without any trademarks and Company logos. To distinguish tobacco products will be possible only with the help of text of standard format made with tiny letters in strictly determined place on the top of the pack.

Earlier Australian Ministry of Health Nicola Roxon in the interview to Australian radio Company has confessed that this initiative is an experiment. And Australian government doesn't dispose any data that these measures can have serious influence on smoking level in the country.