The issue of Plain Packaging was first addressed by AmCham Intellectual Property Committee in 2009, with the goal of establishing a dialogue with experts in the field of intellectual property and plain packaging. In our opinion, the issues of problematic behavior of people cannot be solved by denial of the intellectual property rights. It only increases the threat of growing black market and trafficking with counterfeit goods.

The Committee is supporting the initiative for diminishing the number of smokers and calls the attention to Germany as an example of good practice. They have relatively liberal approach to tobacco market regulation, while recording the lowest percentage of smokers among young people and decline of smoking among adults – thanks to an efficient preventive program.