Cigarette branding is a guarantee of quality

As a trademark lawyer and consultant to Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), an initiative of the International Chamber of Commerce, I read your editorial (16 January) on tobacco smuggling. 

You rightly describe as ‘utterly daft’ the smoking of cigarettes of unknown origins.

Yet, in previous editorial comments ( August 12, 2014), you supported proposals to eliminate cigarette brands and trademarks.