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The below may be a good addition to the context in which this list
has been discussing the application of local laws and regulations to
global digital space/ business, vis a vis the power of different
countries/ jurisdiction to apply their law, especially for the more
legitimate purposes as in the below case.<br>
<br>
My point is, will a developing country, especially a small one, be
able to penalise google and make it behave as the UG gov could. (See
the earleir instance of Taipie city government versus google). Is it
not a major global IG issue? <br>
<br>
parminder <br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://governancenow.com/gov-next/egov/google-agrees-usd-500-million-settlement-over-pharmacy-adds">http://governancenow.com/gov-next/egov/google-agrees-usd-500-million-settlement-over-pharmacy-adds</a><br>
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<h2>Google agrees to USD 500 million settlement over
pharmacy adds</h2>
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<div class="gn_post_details"><span class="authors">PTI</span>
| <span>August 25 2011</span></div>
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<br>
Internet search giant Google has agreed to pay USD 500 million to
settle charges that it allowed Canadian pharmacies to place ads on
its website that resulted in prescription drugs being imported from
Canada to the US unlawfully. <br>
<br>
The Justice Department said the forfeiture is "one of the largest
ever in the United States" and represents the gross revenue received
by Google as a result of Canadian pharmacies advertising through its
'AdWords' programme, plus gross revenue made by Canadian pharmacies
from their sales of controlled and non-controlled prescription drugs
to US consumers.<br>
<br>
"The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable
companies who in their bid for profits violate federal law and put
at risk the health and safety of American consumers," Deputy
Attorney General James Cole said in a statement on Wednesday.<br>
<br>
The settlement ensures that Google will reform its "improper
advertising practices with regard to these pharmacies while paying
one of the largest financial forfeiture penalties in history," Cole
said. Google said it "accepts" responsibility for its conduct,
acknowledging that it improperly assisted Canadian online pharmacy
advertisers to run advertisements on its site.<br>
<br>
Under the terms of an agreement signed by Google and the government,
Google must also undertake a number of compliance and reporting
measures to insure it does not indulge in such practices in the
future.<br>
<br>
An investigation by the US Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island had
found that Google was aware as early as 2003 that online Canadian
pharmacies were advertising prescription drugs to Google users in
the US through its AdWords advertising programme.
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