Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, the nation's third largest tobacco manufacturer, has filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) charging that certain Florida and California-based importers are violating U.S. laws by dealing in

The tobacco company has requested an investigation by the ITC and alleges violations of its trademarks by Allstate Cigarette Distributors, Inc. and R.E. Tobacco Sales, Inc., both based in Miami, Prestige Storage & Distribution, Inc. of Ft. Lauderdale, and Dood Enterprises, Inc., which is based in Los Angeles. Brown & Williamson charges that the companies unlawfully and without its authorization imported and sold in the United States cigarettes manufactured by B&W for sale outside the country. These export cigarettes, typically referred to as gray market cigarettes, differ materially and in several respects form those sold domestically. For example, the formulas for these export cigarettes, and often the packaging are different. B&W believes these differences lead to consumer confusion.

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