British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International have filed suit against the UK government over mandated plain packaging for tobacco products, claiming the new law wrongfully strips them of their trademarks, the BBC said.

The High Court of Justice in London was asked to rule whether plain packaging, slated to take effect in May, 2016, represents a breach of intellectual property rights under English and European Union law, BBC said. Imperial Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International also are expected to challenge the packaging law, which was passed in March.
“Wiping out trademarks simply goes too far”, said Marc Firestone, general counsel for PMI. “Countries around the world have shown that effective tobacco control can co-exist with respect for consumer freedoms and private property”, he said in a statement released by PMI.