CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australia has urged other countries to adopt the world's toughest law on cigarette promotion, which was upheld Wednesday by the country's highest court and prohibits tobacco companies from displaying their logos on cigarette packs.
The High Court rejected a challenge by tobacco companies who argued the value of their trademarks will be destroyed if they are no longer able to display their distinctive colors, brand designs and logos on cigarette packs.
Starting in December, packs will instead come in a uniformly drab shade of olive and feature graphic health warnings and images of cancer-riddled mouths, blinded eyeballs and sickly children. The government hopes the new packs will make smoking as unglamorous as possible.
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"Many other countries around the world ... will take heart from the success of this decision today," Attorney General Nicola Roxon told reporters after the court ruling.
"Governments can take on big tobacco and win and it's worth countries looking again at what the next appropriate step is for them," she added.
British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International, Imperial Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International are worried that the law will set a global precedent that could slash billions of dollars from the values of their brands. They challenged the new rules on the grounds that they violate intellectual property rights and devalue their trademarks.
