The High Court upheld introduction of uniform packaging for tobacco products, rejecting the cigarette makers complaint that plain packs infringe on intellectual property rights.

At least two tobacco companies, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco, said they would appeal the 19 May decision, which clears the way for introduction of plain packs in the UK. Drab brown packaging with uniform branding and large pictorial health warnings will appear in stores from 20 May, once existing inventory has been sold.
“It is wrong to view this issue purely in monetized terms alone,” the court said, as reported by Reuters. “There is a significant moral angle which is embedded in the regulations which is about saving children from a lifetime of addiction, and children and adults from premature death and related suffering and disease," the court reportedly said.
BAT responded in a statement, saying “This decision by the English High Court is by no means the final word on the lawfulness of plain packaging.We believe that the judgment contains a number of fundamental errors of law and we are applying for leave to appeal the decision.”
Marc Firestone, general counsel for Philip Morris International, said the decision was flawed, but PMI would not appeal. "We will instead maintain our focus on efforts to develop and commercialize scientifically substantiated reduced-risk products that we firmly believe will ultimately benefit UK smokers and public health much more than plain packaging,” he said.