If the two companies do reach an agreement it could become a model for other cigarette makers.
The potential for a huge damage award had not been lost on the cigarette makers.
Cigarette makers are a prime example of how little the $5,000 limit means.
Even at that level, those fees, which would be paid by cigarette makers, could reach $10 billion.
Lawsuits were on the minds of other cigarette makers, too.
The cigarette makers are hardly in any position to dictate terms to Congress or the public.
The three states settled their suits for a total of $34.4 billion to be paid by cigarette makers over 25 years.
In recent years, however, government regulators have asked cigarette makers to do these machine tests themselves.
The cigarette maker contributes $1 million to the festival, or 40 percent of its budget.
Most of the six American cigarette makers have installed the latest production equipment.
