A federal appeals court ruled tobacco company websites are subject to the same curbs on depicting tobacco products that apply to print media and online information portals, dpa-AFX reported.

The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruling struck down the appeal of Pöschl Tabak, the world’s largest snuff manufacturer, of a lower court ruling instructing the company to remove an image from its website showing people ‘enjoying’ cigarettes, pipes and snuff, the news agency said. The ban on promoting tobacco products extends beyond advertisements to informational presentations, dpa-AFX said.
A spokesman for the consumer group that brought the suit reportedly said the ruling should impact similar online depictions involving tobacco products.