Six days of court testimony begins 10 Dec on the challenge by world’s four largest tobacco companies of government plans to mandate plain packaging for tobacco products from May, 2016, the Daily Telegraph said.

Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco, British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco initially filed separate complaints that will be heard as one case. The cigarette makers say imposing uniform drab brown packs without branding and logos violates their intellectual property rights. The case will be heard before the High Court with a decision expected in January, the newspaper said on its website.
A separate case challenging plain packaging laws in the UK and Ireland under EU law is before a court in Luxembourg.