Plain packaging of tobacco products will be mandatory from 1 January 2017 and Japan Tobacco International's French subsidiary (JTI France) will challenge the measure, news site Medical Xpress reported.

JTI France in a statement said would challenge the measure, the site said, citing Agence France-Presse as its source.
"The introduction of plain packages doesn't take into account the damage it does to the property rights of companies, in particular intellectual property rights," JTI France Corporate Relations and Communications Director Benoit Bas said in the statement. JTI's appeal will not suspend the introduction of plain packs which must be completed by the end of this year, the news site said.