IQOS Sues British American Tobacco’s Glo in Japan

According to the Wall Street Journal, Philip Morris International has recently filed a lawsuit against British American Tobacco over its product iQOS in Japan.

As a new alternative to traditional cigarettes, this is a promising market. British American Tobacco, as Philip Morris International's biggest competitor, saw sales of its heated tobacco products (THP) reach 3.3 billion sticks in the first half of the year, an increase of 855%; the total volume of the company's cigarettes and THPs decreased by 2.2%, down to 348.3 billion sticks.

Philip Morris's move is also the latest effort by tobacco manufacturers to secure a dominant position in this market.

The company claims that certain features of British American Tobacco's Glo product infringe on two patents held by Philip Morris International in Japan. As a result, Philip Morris is seeking 100 million yen (approximately $896,160) in damages and a permanent injunction against Glo products.

A spokesperson for British American Tobacco stated that the company clearly disagrees with this assertion and questions the validity of the patents cited by Philip Morris International in this case.

The growth of heated non-combustible products in the Japanese market has begun to slow down. Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, and Japan Tobacco are all aggressively lowering prices to boost sales in Japan while also working to expand into global markets.