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Ireland's plain packaging laws got a mention on American TV over the weekend
The tobacco companies didn’t come out looking too clever.
Updated with longer clip
IRELAND’S INTRODUCTION OF plain packaging for cigarettes even got attention in America on Sunday night.
On late night talk show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver the presenter responded to the news by saying ‘Good for you Ireland’. He added that:
“In the run up to that – tobacco companies sent threatening letters to the Irish government …. with Philip Morris international claiming the laws infringe its trademark.”
Philip Morris is a global American cigarette and tobacco company. The show quoted a letter from the company to Ireland which stated:
As a dance is only meaningful when danced, so a trademark is only meaningful when used.
He had some interesting comparisons about what that legal argument sounded like:
Originally posted March 09 21:09.
Read: Ireland has just passed laws to introduce plain packs, but when will they be in the shops?>
