In layman’s language, plain packaging of cigarettes means the selling of cigarettes and other tobacco products in generic or standardized packets without any brand logo, name, trademarks, or colors. The brand name on the packet is replaced by the health warnings. You might know that if plain packaging is regulated then every packet of cigarette would appear exactly the same to one another. The 1st country that has passed the law of plain packaging is Australia. The tobacco plain packaging act was passed in the year 2012. As per the law, it was mandatory for plain packaging and selling of cigarettes in drab brown packs with clearly visible health warnings written over it. Since this law came into force, it has imposed several restrictions on the finish, color, and shape of retail packaging for cigarettes and other tobacco products. Also, this act prohibited the use of trademarks on such packaging of cigarettes and tobacco products.





Implications of Plain Packaging of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products

With the introduction of the plain packaging law in many countries across the world, it has led to a hue and cry from the tobacco Industry, since it is the violation of the property rights, particularly the rights reserved under Trademark laws.





The tobacco contract manufacturing Industry has strongly criticized plain packaging of cigarettes and other tobacco products by putting forth its disadvantages and indicating that it would cause more harm to the society. One of the biggest disadvantages mentioned by the tobacco manufacturing industry is that the plain packaging law will give birth to counterfeiting of tobacco products, since there is no specific recognition of the brands on cigarettes and other tobacco products. Also, they’ve highlighted that the quality of the tobacco products will be compromised and the poor quality tobacco sold in plain packaging will cause more harm to the consumers.



