Juul escalates legal battle against NJOY: new patent infringement charges
A new legal front is opening in the trade war between Juul Labs and NJOY (a subsidiary of the Altria group).
On August 8, 2025, Juul formally filed a lawsuit in the Arizona federal court and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking to block the importation and sale in the U.S. of two new devices developed by NJOY: the Daily and a modified version of theAce. According to Juul, these models infringe a recently awarded patent, the US No. 12, covering nicotine salt formulation technology.
Targeted products: Daily and Ace revisited
Both devices in question were designed to more closely mimic the sensation of a combustible cigarette through the use of high-concentration nicotine salts. Juul claims that the innovations incorporated into these devices overlap with technical elements protected by its patent, thus justifying legal action and a request for immediate measures to prevent their distribution.
Protracted conflict and legal precedents
This legal offensive is part of a continuing confrontation between the two parties that is already well underway. In January 2025, the ITC ordered a ban on the importation of NJOY. Ace original, believing that several Juul patents had been infringed.
Subsequently, NJOY attempted to challenge the validity of certain Juul intellectual property rights before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), but this instance confirmed the legal soundness of the patents, rejecting NJOY's arguments.
Economic Impact for Altria/NJOY
The financial consequences of this patent war proved considerable for Altria. The cessation of sales of the Ace caused a drop of approximately 70% volumes shipped by NJOY. In the first quarter of 2025, the group had to record a loss of value (without direct impact on cash flow) of 873 million related to this activity. To date, no specific date has been announced for a possible return of these devices to the American market.
PROSPECTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
If the ITC or the court upholds Juul's claims, NJOY could find itself unable to launch its new products in the United States. This scenario would strengthen Juul's market position in an already highly regulated market and could prompt other manufacturers to rethink their technology strategies to avoid future litigation.
