호주정부의 결정으로 담배애호가들에게 담배에 대한 혐오감을 갖도록 하면서 호주가 담배 광고에 대해 세계에서 가장 강력하게 규제하는 나라로 알려진다.
올 7월에 상정될 이번 법안이 통과되면 2012년 1월부터 시행하게 된다.
필립 모리스는 27일 이번 호주의 결정은 호주와 홍콩간의 상호 투자협정에 위배되는 것이라고 주장하고 있다.
핍립 모리스의 대표는 회사 상표와 같은 지적재산권을 침해한다면서 상표의 가치가 심하게 훼손당한다고 말했다.
(영문기사 원문)
Philip Morris fights Australian packaging rules
SYDNEY (AP) — Tobacco giant Philip Morris launched legal action on Monday against the Australian government over the country's plans to strip company logos from cigarette packages and replace them with grisly images of cancerous mouths, sickly children and bulging, blinded eyes.
The government believes the new rules will make the packages less attractive to smokers and turn Australia into the world's toughest country on tobacco advertising. Several outraged cigarette makers have threatened lawsuits, arguing the move illegally diminishes the value of their trademarks. Philip Morris is the first of those companies to file a claim for compensation.
"We would anticipate that the compensation would amount to billions," Philip Morris spokeswoman Anne Edwards told The Associated Press.
The legislation, which will be introduced to Parliament in July, would ban cigarette makers from printing their logos, promotional text or colorful images on cigarette packs. Brand names will instead be printed in a small, uniform font and feature large health warnings and gruesome, full-color images of the consequences of smoking. The law would be phased in over six months, starting in January 2012.
Hong Kong-based Philip Morris Asia Limited, which owns the Australian affiliate Philip Morris Limited, filed a notice of claim on Monday arguing the legislation violates a bilateral investment treaty between Australia and Hong Kong.
The tobacco company says the treaty protects companies' property, including intellectual property such as trademarks. The plain packaging proposal severely diminishes the value of the company's trademark, Edwards said.
김희광 기자 april4241@naver.com
