Leon hasn’t ruled on a pending motion for summary judgment, but said in a Nov. 7 opinion that the companies had “demonstrated a substantial likelihood that they will prevail on the merits of their position.”
The labels in question include color images that are meant to show the consequences of smoking – diseased lungs, for instance. The manufacturers challenged the new regulations on the grounds that the labels violate their First Amendment rights by requiring them to advocate against the purchase of their own product on labels that take up half of the cigarette package.
