On April 9, British American Tobacco announced that it had filed lawsuits against Philip Morris International in the US and Germany, reported Reuters.

BAT alleges that the tobacco heating technology in PMI’s IQOS device infringes on BAT’s patents. The company has filed two patent infringement claims, one through the International Trade Commission (ITC) and one through the Virginia federal court, seeking remedies for damages caused and an injunction on importing the product.
According to the report, the lawsuits focus on the heating blade technology in the IQOS device. BAT alleges this is an earlier version of the technology found in its glo tobacco heating devices, which it was planning on launching in Germany in 2020. BAT spokesperson, Will Hill, told Reuters, “If we win we may be able to get an ITC exclusion order blocking the importation of IQOS into the U.S. by Philip Morris unless they agree to take a license to our patents.”
In a statement, Philip Morris said, “We have seen media reports that BAT has filed legal actions but have not had the opportunity to evaluate its allegations. We can say, however, that we will vigorously defend ourselves.” The report also stated that the ITC and district court cases will run separately and the final decisions will not be dependent on one another. BAT is also challenging the validity of a Philip Morris patent in the UK, in response to a lawsuit filed by PMI against BAT in Japan.