PMI and BAT Settle Patent Infringement Disputes

Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have settled their ongoing intellectual property disputes relating to heated tobacco and vapor products.

The cigarette makers had been fighting a multi-front patent battle. BAT, which makes Vuse vapes and Glo heated tobacco devices, was ordered to pay PMI millions of dollars after losing one case, while PMI has been blocked from importing its flagship heated tobacco device IQOS into the United States as part of another.

The settlement includes non-monetary provisions between PMI and BAT that resolve all ongoing global patent infringement litigation, encompassing all related injunctions and exclusion orders, and prevents future claims against current heated tobacco and vapor products. The settlement also allows each party to innovate and introduce product iterations.

“We are pleased that this matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties,” said PMI CEO Jacek Olczak in a statement. “There is a clear and growing global desire from adults who smoke to choose from a range of smoke-free products, and we believe continued reduced-risk category innovation can accelerate declines in the harms associated with smoking to the benefit of consumers and public health at large as we continue PMI’s journey to end the sale of cigarettes.”

“This agreement is an important step forward for BAT and all our stakeholders,” said BAT CEO Tadeu Marroco in a statement. “Having already built two £1 billion [$1.28 billion] brands in Vuse and Glo, the potential for their continued impact on tobacco harm reduction is clear. I am delighted that this settlement will allow BAT to focus on developing innovative solutions that provide adult consumers with a greater choice of reduced risk products in support of our ‘A Better Tomorrow’ purpose. By doing so, we will help build a smokeless world for the benefit of consumers, investors and society as a whole.”