As widely reported in the press (BBC News and BBC Newsbeat (given children are one of the stated key beneficiaries of these changes)), uniform packaging rules (amongst other measures/restrictions) for tobacco has now come into force. From today, cigarette packets must be uniformly olive green in colour with large images intended to act as health warnings.

These restrictions are of course interesting, both culturally and legally but also for trade mark law. In fact, one claim by the tobacco companies has been that such measures would “destroy their valuable intellectual property rights and render products indistinguishable from each other”.

The legislation (The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 here) survived a number of legal challenges including at the UK High Court here.

Further comment on this will follow.