Philip Morris sues Internet vendors |
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Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:06
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Philip Morris USA said Tuesday it sued two Internet operators in federal court for allegedly selling illegally imported cigarettes with the company's trademarks, including the Marlboro brand.In its filing with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the company said the owners or operators of paylessmoke.com, cigmall.net and a several related Web sites sold cigarettes which violated the Imported Cigarette Compliance Act of 2000.Philip Morris also claims in the lawsuit that the sites at times made false statements about the legality of these sales.Additionally, the cigarette company alleges the Web sites didn't comply with tax laws and the federal Jenkins Act, which requires Internet cigarette retailers to report all sales to the purchaser's state taxing authority.E-mails to paylessmoke.com and cigmall.net for comment weren't returned.Shares of New York-based Altria Group Inc., the parent of Philip Morris, gained 41 cents to $67.41 in morning trading.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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