Marlboro controversies

Philip Morris USA sues Don Abram Harris Cigars over Marlboro Man cigar

Lawsuit filed

Philip Morris USA filed a lawsuit against Don Abram Harris Cigars in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The company seeks to stop the cigar maker from using the Marlboro Man name, have existing Marlboro Man-branded products and advertising materials destroyed, and obtain monetary damages and attorney's fees. The suit follows Don Abram Harris Cigars' own $8 billion lawsuit against Philip Morris USA and a USPTO nonfinal action rejecting Harris' Marlboro Man trademark application.

Marlboro Miles promotional-credit litigation

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier judgment concerning the legal status of Marlboro’s proof-of-purchase rewards program. The decision allowed Philip Morris to invalidate certain “Five Miles” promotional products after a specified date.

Criticism of subliminal Ferrari and Formula One branding

Health officials, medical commentators and tobacco-control advocates criticized Marlboro’s continued Ferrari relationship after direct tobacco sponsorship was restricted in Europe. Barcode-style and other substitute graphics were alleged to preserve brand associations, while Ferrari maintained that the barcode was a design element rather than advertising.

Health-risk implications of cigarette descriptors

A federal court ruling found that cigarette descriptors such as “Lights” and “Mild” could create an impression that products were safer. Marlboro and other brands were consequently required to stop using such terminology in the affected context and adopted color-based names instead.