BAT Sues PMI Over IQOS Technology

British American Tobacco (BAT) has sued Philip Morris International (PMI) in the United States and Germany for patent infringement, reports Reuters.

The lawsuits focus on the heating blade technology used in PMI’s IQOS heat-not-burn device, which BAT claims is an earlier version of the technology currently being used in its Glo tobacco heating devices.

BAT filed two patent infringement claims in the United States against Philip Morris, one through the International Trade Commission (ITC) and one in the Virginia federal court, seeking remedies for damages caused and an injunction on importing the product.

“If we win we may be able to get an ITC exclusion order blocking the importation of IQOS into the U.S. by Philip Morris unless they agree to take a license to our patents,” BAT spokesman Will Hill told Reuters.

PMI, which started selling IQOS in the United States last year, vowed it would vigorously defend itself against the legal actions.