UNITED STATES
Import of IQOS halted

Altria Group and Philip Morris International Inc. must stop imports and sales of their IQOS heated tobacco device, the US International Trade Commission ruled on 29 Sept, in a patent case brought by rival R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., reports The Wall Street Journal.

The case now moves to administrative review, which is expected to last two months; the decision must be signed by President Biden before it takes effect, the report said.
IQOS is manufctured by PMI and sold in the US by Altria. The ITC ruled that the product infringes two patents owned by BAT’s subsidiary Reynolds American.
Altria launched IQOS in the US in 2019 and until now has sold it in just a handful of states. Altria paused the rollout earlier this year due to pending patent case. Reynolds first sued in April 2020, claiming PMI and Altria copied patented technology that it had developed for its Vuse products.
A spokesperson for the BAT Group said: “Yesterday, the U.S. International Trade Commission issued its Final Determination that Philip Morris and Altria’s IQOS products infringe two patents owned by the BAT Group. As a result, the ITC issued an order preventing Philip Morris and Altria from importing the infringing products, the IQOS 2.4, IQOS 3, IQOS 3 Duo and their accompanying Heatsticks into the United States and preventing Philip Morris USA and Altria Client Services from selling already imported IQOS and Heatsticks in the United States.
“BAT is committed to its purpose of building A Better Tomorrow and is investing significantly behind its unique multi-category portfolio of scientifically-substantiated potentially reduced risk nicotine products. Our Vuse vapour and VELO modern oral ranges are available in the U.S. for adult nicotine consumers seeking alternatives to combustible cigarettes.
“Infringement of our intellectual property undermines our ability to invest and innovate and thereby reduce the health impact of our business. We will therefore defend our IP robustly across the globe.”
According to the report, PMI is puzzled and concerned by the Commission’s decision. Lawsuits based on the same patent families have been unsuccessful in European courts and the European Patent Office, a PMI spokesperson was quoted as saying.

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