Opinion ID: 2420919
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The MSA's Treatment of Cigarette Manufacturers

Text: The MSA divides cigarette manufacturers into several groups. The first group consists of the four dominant manufacturers who initially executed the MSA. They are referred to as original participating manufacturers, or OPMs. The second group consists of more than fifty smaller manufacturers who joined the MSA after its initial execution. They are referred to as subsequent participating manufacturers, or SPMs. The SPMs are divided into two sub-groups: grandfathered SPMs, who joined the MSA within sixty days of the initial November 1998 execution date; [3] and non-grandfathered SPMs, who joined the MSA thereafter. A third group consists of manufacturers who have not joined the MSA. They are referred to as non-participating manufacturers, or NPMs. An NPM may become a non-grandfathered SPM at any time by signing the MSA and making prescribed payments.