Jump to full article: Dow Jones Newswire, 2007-07-10
Intro: Altria Group Inc.'s (MO) Philip Morris USA and other cigarette makers argued Tuesday that a federal judge erred last year in granting class-action status to a lawsuit over tobacco companies marketing of "light" cigarettes.
At a hearing before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Theodore M. Grossman, a lawyer for the tobacco companies, said there were 65 different brands of light cigarettes with hundreds of advertising campaigns during the 35-year period covered by the class certification.
He said the certification was "overbroad" and the issues so individualized for each brand or each smoker's own circumstances that the case can't be effectively grouped in such a class.
"Almost all of (the light cigarette brands) never spoke of health or safety as part of their advertising," Grossman said.
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