The Amsterdam cinema Het Ketelhuis is not carrying out prohibited tobacco advertising with its poster. The Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA) had imposed a fine: the poster was supposedly indirectly advertising tobacco. Section 5a of the Dutch Tobacco Act prohibits the use of a name, logo, symbol or other distinctive sign that was previously used for a tobacco product. The VWA found that the "LUCKY STRIKE" look-alike breached this prohibition.
In the first instance, Het Ketelhuis's objection was dismissed but the cinema appealed to the District Court. The cinema argued that the Tobacco Act is not intended to prohibit a parody. The District Court found in favour of Het Ketelhuis. The intention of Section 5a of the Tobacco Act is to prevent camouflaged advertising (circumventing advertising limitations). The District Court did not see camouflaged advertising for Lucky Strike in the poster. For an objective viewer this is a recognisable parody on the health warning on a cigarette packet. The District Court also considered that Het Ketelhuis did not intend to advertise tobacco but to parody it and the Tobacco Act was not made to prohibit parodies. The cinema does not have to pay the fine.
Daniël Haije
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The Amsterdam cinema Het Ketelhuis is not carrying out prohibited tobacco advertising with its poster. The Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA) had imposed a fine: the poster was supposedly indirectly advertising tobacco. Section 5a of the Dutch Tobacco Act prohibits the use of a name, logo, symbol or other distinctive sign that was previously used for a tobacco product. The VWA found that the "LUCKY STRIKE" look-alike breached this prohibition.
In the first instance, Het Ketelhuis's objection was dismissed but the cinema appealed to the District Court. The cinema argued that the Tobacco Act is not intended to prohibit a parody. The District Court found in favour of Het Ketelhuis. The intention of Section 5a of the Tobacco Act is to prevent camouflaged advertising (circumventing advertising limitations). The District Court did not see camouflaged advertising for Lucky Strike in the poster. For an objective viewer this is a recognisable parody on the health warning on a cigarette packet. The District Court also considered that Het Ketelhuis did not intend to advertise tobacco but to parody it and the Tobacco Act was not made to prohibit parodies. The cinema does not have to pay the fine.
Daniël Haije