http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/lawsuit/altadis.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://rds.yahoo.com/S=53720272/K=tobacco/v=2/SID=w/l=NSR/R=18/SIG=1597s0a5s/EXP=1113394739/*-http%3A//money.iwon.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?cat=USMARKET&src=704&feed=dji&section=news&news_id=dji-00033120050412&date=20050412&alias=/alias/money/cm/nw http://tobacco.org/news/194681.html Spanish-French tobacco company Altadis SA (ALT.MC) said Tuesday it will see a significant reduction in its dividend payout as a percentage of net profit under the new International Financial Reporting Standards. Under IFRS, the 2004 dividend payout ratio stands at 47.3%, compared with 61.4% under Spanish accounting standards. But Altadis said it won't change its dividend policy, stressing, however, that it remains committed to raising its dividend payment by at least 10% a year. Altadis paid a EUR0.90 a share dividend on 2004 earnings, an increase of 12.5% on the year. Dow Jones via IWon christopher.bjork@dowjones.com (Christopher Bjork) Tue, 12 Apr 2005 04:00:00 GMT http://reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CHQDS5XNQ14SUCRBAELCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=6354243 http://tobacco.org/news/177632.html A French court has rejected a lawsuit brought against French-Spanish tobacco company Altadis ALT.MC ALDS.PA by a smoker seeking damages for lung cancer, Altadis said on Tuesday. The Court of First Instance in Bethune held that Altadis met its obligations on providing health warnings and that it was entitled to make use of health information from sources other than public authorities, Altadis said. Reuters France Tue, 28 Sep 2004 04:00:00 GMT http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040203005344&newsLang=en http://tobacco.org/news/151726.html Altadis is pleased that the Beziers Regional Court (Tribunal de Grande Instance) accepted its arguments and dismissed the suit filed by the family of Suzanne Berger. With this decision, the Court rightly considered that Seita could not be held responsible for failing to provide information, as claimed by the plaintiffs... The family of Mrs. Berger, who died of cancer she attributed to cigarette smoking, filed a suit demanding EUR 230,000 in damages and a monthly allowance of EUR 1,525 for her three children in compensation for the moral injury suffered. . . . The Court underlined that, before 1976, Seita did not have the authority to place health warnings on cigarette packs at its own initiative. As a result, the company cannot be held responsible for failing to fulfill an obligation to provide adequate information that did not fall within the scope of its competence. Business Wire aneta.lazarevic@altadis.com France Tue, 03 Feb 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Daily/CA_Daily_News/0,2342,907,00.html http://tobacco.org/news/147359.html Selling Cuban cigar replicas turned out to be an expensive mistake for a south Florida family. On Thursday, Altadis U.S.A. announced that it had won a $900,000 judgment against Pedro Gomez and his sons Edel and Joel. The Gomez family was found guilty of violating Altadis trademarks by selling "Cuban replica" Montecristo, H. Upmann and Romeo y Julieta cigars. The Gomezes ran Tabacalera Cubana Corp., which Altadis described as a cigar manufacturer, and Tabacalera Popular Cubana Inc., a cigar retailer. Both companies are based in Miami. Federal Judge Ungaro-Benages ruled that the Gomezes were personally liable for the damages. The judgment was rendered on November 26. Altadis claimed this was an important case. Cigar Aficionado Tue, 23 Dec 2003 05:00:00 GMT http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20020522_002229,00.html http://tobacco.org/news/94101.html Franco-Spanish tobacco company Altadis SA (E.ATD) said Wednesday that it has lodged an appeal in Spain's national court against a decision handed down by Spain's anti-competition tribunal in April, which includes a EUR3 million fine. In a release, Altadis said it will also seek a suspension of the tribunal's decision. The fine follows an investigation by the tribunal into claims made by logistics company McLane Espana SA that Tabacalera - one of the tobacco companies that has since merged with France's Seita to form Altadis - abused its dominant position in the market. As well as the fine, the tribunal said Altadis should cease such activity, and McLane should proceed with seeking supply agreements with Altadis. McLane's complaint, originally lodged in 1996, reportedly alleged that Tabacalera was acting uncompetitively by giving all it logistics business to its Logista unit. Logista is now a unit of Altadis. The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition ari.gaitanis@dowjones.com (Ari Gaitanis, Dow Jones Newswires) Spain Wed, 22 May 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/dowjones/20020426/bs_dowjones/altadis_to_appeal_anti_competition_tribunal_s_eur3_million_fine http://tobacco.org/news/91980.html Altadis SA (E.ATD) said Friday that it will appeal a decision handed down by Spain 's anti-competition tribunal, which includes a EUR3 million fine. In a release, Altadis said it will lodge its appeal with Spain 's National Court, and will seek to suspend the decision handed down by Spain 's Tribunal for the Defence of Competition. The fine follows an investigation by the tribunal into claims made by logistics company McLane Espana SA that Tabacalera - one of the tobacco companies that has since merged with France 's Seita to form Altadis - abused its dominant position in the market. As well as the fine, the tribunal said Altadis should cease such activity, and McLane should proceed with seeking supply agreements with Altadis. "In the opinion of Altadis, the decision lacks foundation, especially as the Tribunal for the Defence of Competition didn't take into account in its decision that the legal framework for the tobacco market has changed substantially since 1996, " Altadis said. Dow Jones via Yahoo ari.gaitanis@ dowjones.com (Ari Gaitanis, Dow Jones Newswires) Spain Fri, 26 Apr 2002 04:00:00 GMT http://www.altadis.com/en/noticias/en-notisueltas/20010530b.html http://tobacco.org/news/67061.html In Spain, the judge of the Court of First Instance number 11 of Madrid has resolved to stay definitively proceedings for an action brought against Altadis for a case of tobacco consumption in dismissing the appeal lodged by the plaintiff. The action was brought in the Valencian town of Sueca, in January 1999, by José Dux, a chronic bronchitis sufferer, who blamed tobacco consumption for his illness and requested compensation from Altadis in the amount of Ptas 100 million. . . In France, the Court of First Instance of Thionville has decided to strike off the action brought by Mr Daniel Carpentier on 11 August 2000 against the french company Seita, holding it responsible for the mouth cancer from which he suffered. . . The Court decided to strike off the case, given that the plaintiff did not reply to the arguments -despite two injunctions- of breach of procedural requirements, incompetence and statute of limitations issues raised by Seita. Altadis Spain France Wed, 30 May 2001 04:00:00 GMT