The Paris Court of Appeal has fined Netflix €250,000 for violating tobacco advertising laws. The ruling, issued on March 31, concerns the distribution on YouTube of the trailer for the documentary about Michael Schumacher between August 2021 and April 2022.
The judges ruled that the video contained numerous appearances of cigarette brands, with 23 instances recorded in two minutes, without any warning. These elements were deemed to constitute direct or indirect promotion prohibited by the Evin Law, especially since the video's dissemination could have reached a wide audience, including young people.
A confirmed legal victory against Netflix
The association "Tomorrow Will Be Smoke-Free," which initiated the legal proceedings, was awarded €30,000 in damages and €5,000 in legal costs. It emphasizes that this decision upholds an initial conviction handed down in 2023 by the Paris Criminal Court.
Netflix's arguments, based on freedom of expression and the use of archival footage, were dismissed. However, the platform maintains that these practices are common in documentaries and indicates it is considering an appeal.
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