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Wholesalers sue Philip Morris YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
yahoonews.com ^
| 7-6-03
| Neil Buckley in New York
Posted on 07/06/2003 8:07:19 PM PDT by SheLion
Philip Morris, the world's biggest tobacco company, is facing a lawsuit from US cigarette wholesalers who claim that a new marketing programme violates antitrust laws.
Under the programme, Philip Morris will sell cigarettes at different prices to wholesalers according to what proportion of their sales involve the company's brands.
The best deal is reserved for distributors for whom Philip Morris brands such as Marlboro constitute up to 49.9 per cent of their revenues. The new programme, launched on June 30, is part of an attempt by Philip Morris USA, the US tobacco arm of Altria Group, to combat the rise of "deep discount" cigarettes.
These cut-price brands have taken more than 10 per cent of the US cigarette market. Many come from small manufacturers that were not part of a 1998 legal settlement with US states that imposed heavy charges on the big tobacco makers to cover the "costs" of tobacco use.
Sixteen wholesalers have launched a lawsuit in a federal court in Tennessee claiming that Philip Morris's Wholesale Leaders 2003 programme constitutes "price discrimination and attempts to monopolise".
Earl Booze, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, says the programme puts distributors that sell a higher proportion of discount brands and lower proportion of Philip Morris products at an "extreme competitive disadvantage".
Those wholesalers would not be able to offer competitive prices for Marlboro, driving customers away. If these distributors suffered, the complaint continues, that could also harm the manufacturers of smaller, discount brands - entrenching Philip Morris's dominant position. Mr Booze said: "We want an injunction that would prevent [Philip Morris] from either implementing or maintaining a discriminatory programme, and then we are seeking damages as a result of the programme."
Philip Morris said it disagreed with the claims in the lawsuit.
"We plan to vigorously defend the case, and ultimately we believe that the programme will be found to be be completely lawful," the company said.
Philip Morris added that the marketing scheme did not impede the ability of competitors to get their products to market.
"It is a pay-for-performance programme," the company said. "It aligns the resources in our promotional programme with those [wholesalers] that are doing best in terms of meeting Philip Morris share goals."
Mr Booze said Tennessee's attorney-general had filed a complaint and motion to intervene on behalf of the state, also alleging that the Philip Morris programme was anticompetitive.
A Tennessee judge on Thursday denied a motion by Philip Morris to move the case to a New York court. A hearing is expected this month.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: antismokers; bans; butts; cigarettes; individualliberty; niconazis; philipmorris; prohibitionists; pufflist; smokingbans; taxes; tobacco
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To: SheLion
PM is a crap company that has diversified and is selling the industry that got it there down the road.
21
posted on
07/07/2003 4:35:28 AM PDT
by
Conspiracy Guy
(Read Buddy's, (the labrador retriever), new book about the Clintons, "Living Hell")
To: SheLion
However, the MSA or Tobacco Settlement is not being paid by Big Tobacco OR the Government. The MSA is being paid for by all the big taxes in each state that has been imposed upon smokers.
Take Maine: Most of the smokers have NO idea that their Maine cigarette tax money is being used to run Kick Butts Racing at the race tracks in Maine. To me, this is an outrage.
Actually the outrage is how uninterested the smokers are.
Sadly, they are typical, which is why smokers are in the boat we are in. Only a handful care enough to do or say anything.
We are getting trampled by the ones that are proactive.
22
posted on
07/07/2003 1:35:55 PM PDT
by
Bogey
To: SheLion
Phillip Morris execs need to die, coughing up lung pieces!
My wife is horribly addicted and one day I'm gonna lose her.
Bastards!
23
posted on
07/07/2003 1:43:18 PM PDT
by
FixitGuy
To: FixitGuy
Phillip Morris execs need to die, coughing up lung pieces! My wife is horribly addicted and one day I'm gonna lose her. Bastards
Don't blame Philip Morris. Take personal responsibility!
24
posted on
07/07/2003 1:48:14 PM PDT
by
Pro-Bush
(The war on Iraq was never declared "over"!)
To: Pro-Bush
Phillip Morris execs need to die, coughing up lung pieces! My wife is horribly addicted and one day I'm gonna lose her. Bastards Don't blame Philip Morris. Take personal responsibility!
I'll take it one step further! If your wife dies due to smoking then I HOLD YOU PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for allowing her to smoke knowing full well the anti-smoking propaganda that has been proliferated since the late 50's...... You are the Cowardly Bastard!
25
posted on
07/07/2003 5:33:31 PM PDT
by
Hot Tabasco
(Over 30 years of dealing with stupid people and I still don't have the right to just shoot them.....)
To: SheLion
Best stock I ever bought. So I guess you hate ME. Sigh.
To: Hot Tabasco
Who you calling a cowardly bastard? See post 23 fruitcake.
27
posted on
07/07/2003 9:07:15 PM PDT
by
Pro-Bush
(The war on Iraq was never declared "over"!)
To: ModernDayCato
Best stock I ever bought. So I guess you hate ME. Sigh. Why would you type such a statement? I'm talking about Phillip Morris. Their latest ad on TV is telling people to stop smoking. If they want everyone to stop smoking, then they should get out of the cigarette business!
They are probably torqued off because people are going elsewhere for cigarettes because of the high taxes. Don't worry about your stock. Their cheese is selling really well.
28
posted on
07/08/2003 5:36:35 AM PDT
by
SheLion
To: FixitGuy
My wife is horribly addicted and one day I'm gonna lose her. So, you believe that if no one smoked, no one would die? I hate to burst your bubble, but no one gets out of this world alive.
29
posted on
07/08/2003 5:38:35 AM PDT
by
SheLion
To: SheLion
My point was that Phillip Morris (theoretically) operates for the benefit of its shareholders, of which I am one.
They had to run the ads because it was part of their settlement with the government extortioners.
Don't forget Miller Beer, Kraft Foods, and all the other good stuff.
To: ModernDayCato
Altria stock @ 48.62.
31
posted on
07/08/2003 9:33:36 AM PDT
by
boxerblues
(God bless the 101st and keep them safe)
To: boxerblues
I paid 17.
To: ModernDayCato
mine was a gift from the inlaws, way back when they were actually making money and doing the 3-1 split. its been a good stock for us but all these lawsuits are getting to be to much
33
posted on
07/08/2003 10:17:29 AM PDT
by
boxerblues
(God bless the 101st and keep them safe)
To: boxerblues
Don't worry too much about the lawsuits...PM is diversifying and divesting the tobacco stuff. Also...all of the suits have annuity payouts, which are at least predictable.
To: ModernDayCato
I don't think Phillip Morris owns Miller anymore.
35
posted on
07/08/2003 10:21:57 AM PDT
by
1rudeboy
To: 1rudeboy
Yep, it's true:
Tobacco
|
Food
|
|
- Marlboro - L&M - Basic - Virginia Slims - Parliament - Merit - Benson & Hedges - Lark - Chesterfield - Cambridge Selected International Brands* - Apollo Soyuz - Bond Street - Caro - Diana - f6 - Fajrant - Klubowe - Lider - Longbeach - Multifilter - Muratti Ambassador - Next - Optima - Peter Jackson - Petra - Philip Morris - Red & White - SG - Vatra |
Beverages, Desserts and Cereals Refreshment Beverages - Capri Sun - Country Time - Crystal Light - Kool-Aid - Tang Coffee - General Foods International Coffees - Gevalia - Maxwell House - Sanka - Starbucks - Yuban Desserts - Bakers - Balance - Breyers yogurt - Calumet - Certo - Cool Whip - Dream Whip - Ever-Fresh - Handi-Snacks - Jell-O - Light n Lively lowfat yogurt - Sure-Jell |
Cereals - Alpha-Bits - Banana Nut Crunch - Blueberry Morning - 100% Bran - Bran Flakes - Cranberry Almond Crunch - Cream of Wheat - Cream of Rice - Fruit & Fibre - Golden Crisp - Grape-Nuts - Great Grains - Honey Bunches of Oats - Honeycomb - Oreo Os - Pebbles - Raisin Bran - Shredded Wheat - Toasties - Waffle Crisp |
This is the first page of three.
To: ModernDayCato
SABMiller plc is the second-largest brewer in the world, created by merger between South African Brewing plc and Miller Brewing. If Phillip Morris (what's the new name now, Altria?) has any interest in this at all, it's a minority interest. Please see:
SABMiller.com
If that link doesn't work (I couldn't get my browser to find the website), try a search on SABMiller in Google.
37
posted on
07/08/2003 1:28:27 PM PDT
by
1rudeboy
To: SheLion
Coke has a monopoly in all resturants around here and I prefer Pepsi, I'm going to call Johnny Cocheran and get rich.
38
posted on
07/08/2003 1:40:20 PM PDT
by
putupon
(Retox or detox, that is the question.)
To: 1rudeboy
The second largest brewer in the United States will soon become the largest foreign owned brewery on U.S. soil. South African breweries will be spending roughly 5 Billion dollars to purchase Miller from Phillip Morris. The ink is not yet dry on this deal. In the beginning little will change on the immediate horizon in Milwaukee. Miller operates some of the most efficient breweries in the country. The only dinosaur in their portfolio is the original brewery in Milwaukee. In 1971 when Miller was purchased by Phillip Morris from W.R. Grace they were only operating one brewery in Milwaukee. Phillip Morris is expected to maintain a minority share of Miller Brewing Company.
It happened in 2002.
To: Pro-Bush; All
Post #23:Phillip Morris execs need to die, coughing up lung pieces! My wife is horribly addicted and one day I'm gonna lose her. Bastards!
Me: I'll take it one step further! If your wife dies due to smoking then I HOLD YOU PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for allowing her to smoke knowing full well the anti-smoking propaganda that has been proliferated since the late 50's...... You are the Cowardly Bastard!
As for you jackass, I read your moronic accusation, I posted it and just to give you the benefit of the doubt, I have reposted it! I stand by my statement!
In case you are mentally incompetent, let me simplify it for you: Since the late 50's, cigarettes have been classified as "coffin nails" etc. and there has been nothing but study after study alleging the negative effects of smoking on an individual's health. Yet your wife chose to continue this alleged bad habit despite all the negative press that has been aired. Since you were also privy to such knowledge and yet allowed you wife to continue in this alleged bad behavior, who is really at fault? It's always much easier to blame the product/manufacturere than the consumer isn't it?
You self serving do-gooders make me sick to my stomach! If you were so concerned about your wife's health you would have made her stop decades ago!
As I stated previously, if your wife should happen to die due to any illness allegedly brought on by smoking then you are the enabler and not the tobacco industry!
Obviously the term "personal responsibility" doesn't fit into your vocabulary does it jackass?
Bring it on.......
40
posted on
07/08/2003 6:01:01 PM PDT
by
Hot Tabasco
(Over 30 + years of dealing with stupid people, I still don't have the right to just shoot them.....)
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